Luke Skywalker and the Je'daii: The Unknown Regions
by Jacen Caedus
Summary: Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade journey into the Unknown Regions to rescue Corran Horn and save the Jedi Praxeum from the wrath of the Sith.
1. Dramatis Personae

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

Here are the characters in this story:

**Percy "Seaweed Brain" Jackson - Luke "Farmboy" Skywalker (age 13), Jedi demigod**

**Annabeth Chase - Mara Jade (age 13), Jedi demigod**

**Poseidon - Vader (immortal), King of Kamino (mention only)**

**Luke Castellan - Jacen (Solo) Caedus (age 20), Sith minion and captain of the _Anakin Solo_**

**Clarisse La Rue - Saba Sebatyne (age 14), Jedi demigod**

**Hades - Bogan (immortal), King of the Netherworld (mention only)**

**Zeus - Sekot (immortal), King of Tython (mention only)**

**Kronos - Palpatine (immortal), Sith Emperor**

**Ares - Yun-Yammka (immortal), god of war (mention only)**

**Grover Underwood - Corran Horn (age 29), prisoner**

**Hermes - Yun-Shuno (immortal), goddess of thieves**

**Demeter - Anima (immortal), goddess of fertility (mention only)**

**Dionysus "Mr. D" - Qel-Droma "Master Q" (immortal), director of the Jedi Praxeum**

**Tyson - Lowbacca (age 12), Wookiee**

**Chiron - Yoda (immortal), Jedi instructor**

**Silena Beauregard - Seha Dorvald (age 16), Jedi demigod**

**Sally Jackson - Shmi Skywalker (age 41), mother of Luke Skywalker**

**Oracle of Delphi - Prophet of Yavin (immortal), Jedi Seer (mention only)**

**Thalia Grace - Jaina Solo (age 18), Jedi demigod**

**Chris Rodriguez - Raynar Thul (age 14), Sith minion**

**Charles Beckondorf - Ganner Rhysode (age 16), Jedi demigod**

**Circe - Talzin (immortal), witch**

**Charybdis - Sarlacc (immortal), guardian of the Unknown Regions**

**Travis Stoll - Chak Fel (age 14), Jedi demigod**

**Connor Stoll - Davin Fel (age 15), Jedi demigod**

**Frederick Chase - (Talon) Karrde Jade (age 45), father of Mara Jade (mention only)**

**Hylla Ramirez-Arellano - Teneniel Djo (age 17), handmaiden of Talzin**

**Argus - Jurokk (immortal), Jedi sentry**

**Blackjack - R2-D2 (age unknown), aiwha**

**Anger - Enara (immortal), Fallanassi**

**Tempest - Eliya (immortal), Fallanassi**

**Wasp - Nashira (immortal), Fallanassi**

**Polyphemus - Monarg (immortal), Wookiee**

**Scylla - Acklay (immortal), guardian of the Unknown Regions**

**Tantalus - Qordis (deceased), enemy of the Je'daii**

**Hydra - Zillo Beast (immortal), monster**

**Peleus - Rancor (immortal), guardian of the Healing Crystals of Fire**

**Agrius - Muuurgh (immortal), Sith minion**

**Orieus - H'sishi (immortal), Sith minion**

**Edward "Blackbeard" Teach - Tyber Zann (age 327), prisoner**

**Hera - Shira (immortal), Queen of Tython (mention only)**

**Athena - Ashla (immortal), goddess of wisdom and war (mention only)**

**Apollo - Yavin (immortal), god of prophecy (mention only)**

**Artemis - Dathomir (immortal), goddess of the hunt (mention only)**

**Hephaestus - Yun-Ne'Shel (immortal), god of fire (mention only)**

**Aphrodite - Yun-Q'aah (immortal), goddess of love (mention only)**

**Hercules -(Anakin) Skywalker (immortal), god of heroes (mention only)**

**Rainbow - Boga (age unknown), varactyl**

**George - Han (immortal), amphistaff**

**Martha - Leia (immortal), amphistaff**

**Matt Sloan - Windy Starkiller (age 13), student at Tosche Station**

**Bonsai - Fixer (age 34), headmaster**

**Nunley - Watto (age 70), coach**

**Raj Mandali - Deacon (age 13), student at Tosche Station**

**Corey Bailer - Tank Sunber (age 13), student at Tosche Station **

**Jason - Jacen (deceased), Republic hero (mention only)**

**Pegasus - Aiwha (immortal), god of the aiwha (mention only)**

**_Locations_:**

**Camp Half-Blood - Jedi Praxeum (Big House - Jedi Temple)**

**The Underworld - The Netherworld of the Force (mention only)**

**Fields of Punishment - Chaos (mention only)**

**Sea of Monsters - Unknown Regions**

**Circe's Island - Dathomir**

**Polyphemus's Island - Monarg's Mechanic Works**

**Island of the Sirens - Moons of Iego**

**Olympus - Tython (mention only)**

**New York - Coruscant (Long Island - Centax)**

**Meriwether Prep - Tosche Station**

**_Princess Andromeda _- _Anakin Solo_**

**Florida - Chiron**

**Manhattan - Galactic City**

**Colchis - Basilisk (mention only)**

**_Species_:**

**Human - Human (Mortal - Mundane)**

**Satyr - Corellian**

**Olympian - Je'daii**

**Titan - Sith**

**Centaur - Chironian**

**Cyclops - Wookiee**

**Graeae - Fallanassi**

**Pegasus - Aiwha**

**Hippocampus - Varactyl**

**Laestrygonian - Gundark**

**Harpy - Twi'lek**

**Siren - Diathim**

**Nereid - Kaminoan**

**Naiad - Melodie**

**Stymphalian - Hawk-bat**

**Dracanae - Killik**

**Bear Twin - Togorian**

**Colchis bull - Basilisk war droid**


	2. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Corran Horn, on Chiron._

_Corran runs, clearly trying to escape from something._

**Monarg's Voice. **_[growls]_

**Corran. **I have to warn them. I have to warn them.

_Corran dashes down a street corner, diving into a wedding boutique._

_Enter Monarg, a towering Dathomirian with one eye._

_Corran hides behind a shelf of dresses._

_Monarg walks off._

_As Corran sighs with relief, Monarg reappears._

**Monarg. **Mine!

_Monarg captures Corran._

_Exit all._


	3. Yoda's Warning

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke Skywalker, waking up._

_Luke sits up, looking around anxiously._

_Enter Mara Jade, cloaked._

_Luke looks over at the shadowy figure, tense._

**Shmi's Voice. **Luke. You're going to be late.

_Exit Mara._

**Luke. **_[aside] _It must have been my imagination.

**Shmi's Voice. **Come on, dear. Last day of school. You should be excited! You've almost made it.

**Luke. **Coming.

_Luke retrieves his lightsaber and hooks it to his belt._

_Luke closes his eyes and uses Force resistance to ward off dark-siders._

_Luke heads downstairs._

_Enter Shmi Skywalker, who serves Luke blue-colored flatcakes and nuna eggs._

_Luke eats._

**Shmi. **_[frowns] _Luke. Are you all right?

**Luke. **Yes . . . fine.

**Shmi. **School or . . .

**Luke. **I think Corran is in trouble. I just dreamed about his being chased by some monster.

_Shmi purses her lips._

**Shmi. **I wouldn't be too worried, dear. Corran is a big Corellian now. If there was a problem, I'm sure we would have heard from . . . from the Praxeum.

**Luke. **What is it?

**Shmi. **Nothing. I'll tell you what. This afternoon we'll celebrate the end of school. I'll take you and Lowbacca to Imperial Center, to that skimboard shop you like.

**Luke. **Wait a minute. I thought we were packing me up for the Praxeum tonight.

**Shmi. **Oh, dear. About that . . . I got a message from Yoda last night.

**Luke. **_[fearful] _What did he say?

**Shmi. **He thinks . . . it might not be safe for you to come to the Praxeum just yet. We might have to postpone.

**Luke. **Postpone? Mother, how could it not be safe? I'm a Jedi. It's like the only safe place in the galaxy for me.

**Shmi. **Usually, dear. But with the problems they're having . . .

**Luke. **What problems?

**Shmi. **Luke. I'm very, very sorry. I was hoping to talk to you about it this afternoon. I can't explain it all now. I'm not even sure Yoda can. Everything happened so suddenly.

_The kitchen chrono chimes._

Seven hundred thirty hours, dear. You should go. Lowie will be waiting.

**Luke. **But . . .

**Shmi. **Luke. We'll talk this afternoon. Go on to school.

**Luke. **_[rising] _Mother. This problem at the Praxeum . . . Does it . . . could it have anything to do with my dream about Corran?

**Shmi. **_[avoids eye contact] _We'll talk this afternoon. I'll explain . . . as much as I can.

_Exit Shmi._

**Luke. **_[aside] _Little did I know that we would never have this afterschool talk.

_Exit all._


	4. The Gundarks

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke Skywalker and Lowbacca (a ginger-furred Wookiee with golden eyes, disguised as a human), at Tosche Station._

**Luke. **_[aside] _My day starts normal. Or as normal as it ever gets at Tosche Station. See, it's this "progressive" school in downtown Galactic City, which means we sit on beanbag chairs instead of at desks, and we don't get grades, and the teachers wear Corellian leather and jizz concert jackets to work. That's all astral with me. I mean, I'm ADHD and dyslexic, like most Jed. So I'd never done that great in regular schools even before they kicked me out. The only bad thing about Tosche was that the teachers always looked on the bright side of things, and the kids weren't always . . . well, bright. Take my first class today: Basic. The whole school read this book called _Beach of Stars_, where all these beings get marooned on an island and go barvy. So for our final exam, our teachers send us into the break yard to spend an hour with no adult supervision to see what will happen. . . .

_Enter Windy Starkiller, a dark-haired young man around Luke's age. Windy terrorizes the other kids, among them Lowbacca, who panics and knocks Windy aside._

**Windy. **You idiot. Why don't you go back to the streets, furball?

_Lowbacca sobs._

**Luke. **Take it back, Starkiller.

**Windy. **_[sneers] _Why do you even bother, Skywalker? You might have friends if you weren't always sticking up for that _di'kut_.

_Enter the gundarks, also disguised as humans._

**Luke. **He's not a _di'kut_. He's just . . .

_Windy and the gundarks laugh._

**Windy. **Just wait until the Gymnasium, Skywalker. You are dead.

_Exit all but Luke and Lowbacca._

**Lowbacca. **I . . . I am a freak?

**Luke. **No. Windy Starkiller is the freak.

**Lowbacca. **You are a good friend. I will miss you next year . . . if I can't . . .

**Luke. **Don't worry, big guy. Everything's going to be fine.

_Luke and Lowbacca enter the astronomy classroom, where they learn about astrogration._

_Luke glances at his holopic of Mara Jade in New Republic City, capital of the Galactic Alliance._

_[aside] _I wish you were here, Mara.

_Enter Windy and the gundarks._

_Windy snatches the holopic._

O!

**Windy. **No way, Skywalker. Who is that? She is not your . . .

**Luke. **Give it back.

_Windy hands the holopic to the gundarks, who take turns ripping it up._

**Windy. **_[indicates the gundarks] _These guys are moving here next season. I bet they can pay the tuition, too, unlike your backrocket friend.

**Luke. **He's not a backrocket.

**Windy. **You're such a loser, Skywalker. It's a good thing I'm going to put you out of your misery next period.

_Exit all but Luke and Lowbacca._

_The bell chimes._

_Enter Mara, cloaked._

**Mara's Voice. **Luke.

_Luke turns, but, not seeing anyone, shrugs it off._

_Exit Mara._

_Luke and Lowbacca join the others in the Gymnasium._

_All dress into training clothes._

_Exit all but Luke and Lowbacca._

**Lowbacca. **Luke. Will you . . . er . . . ?

**Luke. **Oh, yes. Sure, man.

_As Lowbacca changes, Luke stands guard by the door, to keep others from viewing the scars on the Wookiee's back._

_Luke and Lowbacca return to the Gymnasium._

_Enter Windy, the gundarks, and Watto, a potbellied Toydarian with orange eyes._

_Watto reads a sports holozine._

**Windy. **Master Watto. Can I be captain?

**Watto. **Eh, yes. Hmm.

_Windy grins and divides everyone up. _

_Enter Deacon, a dark-haired young man, and Janek "Tank" Sunber, a towering young man with brown hair and eyes._

_In the end, it appears to be Luke, Lowbacca, Deak, and Tank against Windy and the army of gundarks._

**Lowbacca. **Scared. Smell funny.

**Luke. **What smells funny?

**Lowbacca. **_[indicates the gundarks] _Them. They smell funny.

_Windy blows Watto's whistle and begins the game of shockball._

**Deak. **I have to use the 'fresher.

_Exit Deak._

_Tank runs into a corner._

**Luke. **Lowie. Let's go.

_One of the gundarks tosses a shockball into Luke's gut, giving him a mild shock, but the force of which it is thrown causes it to hurt much worse._

_The gundarks laugh._

**Lowbacca. **Luke. Duck.

_Luke dodges as another shockball comes his way._

_Tanks yelps as it comes near him._

**Luke. **O! You could kill somebody.

**Third Gundark. **_[laughs] _I hope so, Luke Skywalker. I hope so.

_The gundarks assume their true forms: red-skinned beasts with black hair and four clawed arms._

**Luke. **_[aside] _Oh, stang. What was it Lowie said? "They smell funny." Monsters.

_Windy drops his shockball in surprise._

**Windy. **O! You're not from Nar Shaddaa. Who . . . ?

_First Gundark tosses another shockball, toward Deak._

_Deak and Tank try to flee, but the gundarks seal the doors._

**Luke. **Let them go.

**Third Gundark. **_[growls] _And lose our tasty morsels? I think not, son of Vader. We gundarks aren't just playing for your death. We want lunch.

_The gundark waves his hand and transforms the shockballs into baradium missiles._

_Each gundark picks up a baradium missile with his bare hands._

**Luke. **Watto.

_Watto looks up, but the Force obscures his vision._

**Watto. **Yes, hmm. Play nice.

_Watto returns to his holozine._

_Second Gundark throws his baradium missile, which comes flying toward Tank._

**Luke. **Tank.

_Lowbacca pulls Tank out of the way._

Run. The other exit.

_All run, but the gundarks once more seal the exit._

**Third Gundark. **No one leaves unless you're out. And you're not out until we eat you.

_Luke's teammates scatter, as another baradium missile comes flying their way._

_The missile explodes, leaving a crater on the floor._

_Luke reaches for his lightsaber, then realizes it is still in his locker room._

_As a baradium missile comes Luke's way, Lowbacca pushes him out of the way. Nevertheless, the explosion still knocks Luke onto the ground._

_The gundarks glare down at Luke._

**Gundarks. **Flesh. Jedi flesh for lunch.

**Lowbacca. **Luke needs help.

_Lowbacca steps in front of Luke, taking the brunt of the attack._

**Luke. **Lowie.

_Lowbacca catches the baradium missiles in his bare hands._

_Lowbacca tosses the baradium back at their owners._

_First Gundark and Sixth Gundark die._

**Third Gundark. **My brothers. You will pay for their destruction.

**Luke. **Lowie. Look out.

_The gundark tosses another baradium missile, but Lowbacca swats it aside. The baradium missile explodes near Watto's table._

_Many of the mundane try a fruitless escape attempt, but Windy stares, petrified, at the scene playing out before him._

**Third Gundark. **Victory will be ours. We will feast on your bones.

_The remaining three gundarks, besides Third Gundark, raise baradium missiles._

_Luke runs for the locker room door._

**Luke. **Move away from the door.

_Lowbacca bats two of the baradium missiles back at their owners._

_Fourth Gundark and Fifth Gundark die._

_The third baradium missile comes Luke's way, and he leaps out of the way. The ensuing explosion creates a hole in the locker room door._

_Lowbacca leaps up and punches Second Gundark in the face; he crumples._

_Second Gundark dies._

_The final gundark throws a baradium missile at Lowbacca._

No.

_Lowbacca slams into the back wall, crumpling underneath a pile of duracrete._

_A little dazed, the Wookiee gets to his feet._

**Third Gundark. **Well, I'm the last one standing. I'll have enough meat to bring to Ghorroh.

_The gundark picks up a baradium missile and aims it at Lowbacca._

**Luke. **Stop. It is I you want.

**Third Gundark.** You wish to die first, young Jedi?

_Luke spots his lightsaber at the gundark's feet and runs toward it._

_[laughs] _My lunch approaches.

_Enter Mara, armed with a vibroblade._

_Mara steps behind the gundark and stabs him._

O!

_The gundark dies._

_Windy comes to his senses and stares at Mara._

**Windy. **That's the girl. That's the girl . . .

_Mara punches Windy in the face._

**Mara. **Lay off my friend.

_Enter Laze "Fixer" Loneozner__, the brown-haired headmaster of Tosche Station._

_Fixer leads other teachers to the Gymnasium, struggling to unlock the door._

**Luke. **Mara. How did you . . . ? How long have you . . . ?

**Mara. **Pretty much all morning.

_Mara sheathes her vibroblade._

I've been trying to find a good time to talk to you. But you've never been alone.

**Luke. **The shadow I saw this morning . . . that was . . . Oh, my stars. You were looking in my bedroom window?

**Mara. **There's no time to explain. I just didn't want to . . .

**Teacher's Voice. **There.

_The door bursts open and Fixer leads the other teachers into the Gymnasium._

**Mara. **Meet me outside. _[glances distastefully at Lowbacca] _And him . . . you'd better bring him.

**Luke. **What?

**Mara. **No time. Hurry.

_Mara slips on her cloaking device._

_Exit Mara._

_Fixer leads several teachers and CSF officers toward Luke, Lowbacca, and Windy._

**Fixer. **Luke Skywalker? What . . . ? How . . . ?

_Lowbacca groans and sits up._

**Lowbacca. **My head hurts.

_Windy wakes up and looks at Luke with terror._

**Windy. **Luke did it, Master Loneozner. He set the whole building on fire. Master Watto will tell you. He saw it all.

_Watto looks up._

**Watto. **Eh, yes. Hmm.

_The teachers and the CSF officers turn to look at Luke._

_Luke grabs his lightsaber._

**Luke. **_[to Lowbacca] _Let's go.

_Exit all._


	5. Mara's Dreams

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca, on Coruscant._

**Mara. **_[glances at Lowbacca] _Where did you find him?

**Luke. **_[annoyed] _He's my friend.

**Mara. **Is he homeless?

**Luke. **What does that have to do with anything? He can hear you, you know. Why don't you ask him?

**Mara. **_[surprised] _He can talk?

**Lowbacca. **I talk. You are pretty.

**Mara. **O! Gross.

_Mara backs away in disgust._

_Luke notices how Lowbacca's hands are not even burned._

**Luke. **Lowie. Your hands aren't even burned.

**Mara. **Of course not. I'm surprised the gundarks had the nerve to attack you with him around.

_Lowbacca tries to touch Mara's red-gold hair, but she bats his hand away._

**Luke. **Mara. What are you talking about? Gun-what?

**Mara. **Gundarks, the monsters in the Gymnasium. They're a race of giant carnivores who lives in the far north of many Outer Rim worlds. Obi-Wan ran into them once, but I've never seen them as far Coreward as Coruscant before.

**Luke. **Gun . . . I can't even say that. What would you call them in Basic?

**Mara. **Alderans. Now come on. We have to get out of here.

**Luke. **The CSF will be after me.

**Mara. **That's the least of our problems. Have you been having the dreams?

**Luke. **The dreams . . . about Corran?

**Mara. **_[pales] _Corran? No. What about Corran?

**Luke. **I dreamed that Corran was being chased by some monster. He kept repeating, "I have to warn them." I thought that's what you were talking about. What have you been dreaming about?

**Mara. **The Praxeum. Big trouble at the Praxeum.

**Luke. **My mother was saying the same thing. But what kind of trouble?

**Mara. **I don't know exactly. Something's wrong. We have to get there right away. Monsters have been chasing me all the way from Myrkr, trying to stop me. Have you had a lot of attacks?

**Luke. **_[shakes his head] _None all year . . . until today.

**Mara. **None? But how . . . ? _[glances at Lowbacca] _Oh.

**Luke. **What do you mean, "oh?"

**Lowbacca. **The gundarks in the Gymnasium called Luke something. . . . Son of Vader?

_Luke and Mara exchange looks._

**Luke. **Lowie. You ever hear those old stories about the Je'daii gods? Like Sekot, Vader, Ashla . . .

**Lowbacca. **Yes.

**Luke. **Well, those gods are still alive. They kind of follow Coreward civilization around, living in the strongest nations. So now they're in the GA. And sometimes they have children with mortals, children called near-humans.

**Lowbacca. **_[confused as to why Luke is telling him this] _Yes.

**Luke. **Er, well, Mara and I are near-humans. We're like . . . Jedi Knights-in-training. And whenever monsters pick up our scent, they attack us. That's what those gundarks were in the Gymnasium: monsters.

**Lowbacca. **Yes.

**Luke. **_[confused] _So . . . you believe me?

**Lowbacca. **_[nods] _But you are the son of Vader?

**Luke. **Yes. My father is Lord Vader, King of Kamino.

**Lowbacca. **_[frowns] _But then . . .

_A police siren wails._

**Mara. **We don't have time for this. We'll talk in the hovertaxi.

**Luke. **A hovertaxi all the way to the Praxeum? You know how many credits . . . ?

**Mara. **Trust me.

**Luke. **_[hesitates] _What about Lowie? We can't just leave him. He'll be in trouble, too.

**Mara. **_[grim] _Yes. We definitely need to take him. Now come on.

_Exit all._


	6. The Fallanassi

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca, on Coruscant._

_Mara removes her bag._

**Mara. **Here. I hope I have one.

**Luke. **What are you looking for?

_Mara removes an aurodium ingot._

**Mara. **I found one. Thank the Force.

**Luke. **Mara. Coruscant hovertaxi drivers won't take that.

**Mara. **_[in Old Corellian] _Stop, Adepts of the White Current.

_Mara tosses an ingot into the street._

_The hovertaxi of the Fallanassi materializes before them._

_Enter Enara._

**Enara. **Passage? Passage?

**Mara. **Three to the Jedi Praxeum.

_Mara opens the door and waves Luke and Lowbacca in._

**Enara. **_[glares at Lowbacca] _O! We don't take _his _kind.

_Enara indicates Lowbacca._

**Mara. **Extra pay. Three more ingots on arrival.

**Enara. **Done.

_Luke climbs into the hovertaxi, followed by Lowbacca and Mara (in that order)._

_Enter Eliya and the driver, Nashira._

**Nashira. **Centax. Out-of-metro fare bonus. Ha!

_Nashira slams on the accelerator and speeds away._

_Enter Tampasi, a holographic recording of the Je'daii aide to Lord Sekot._

**Tampasi. **Hello. This is Tampasi, aide to Sekot. And when I'm out buying wine for the King of Tython, I always buckle up.

_Exit Tampasi._

**Eliya. **_[to Nashira] _Look out. Go left.

**Nashira. **Well, if you would give me the eye, Eliya, I could see that.

_Nashira veers out of the way of a delivery speeder._

**Enara. **Nashira. Give me the girl's ingot. I want to bite it.

**Nashira. **You bit it last time, Enara. It's my turn.

**Enara. **It is not.

_Nashira veers past, ignoring the traffic light._

**Luke. **Excuse me. But can you see?

**Nashira. **No.

**Enara. **No.

**Eliya. **Of course.

**Luke. **_[to Mara] _They're blind?

**Mara. **Not completely. They have an eye.

**Luke. **One eye?

**Mara. **Yes.

**Luke. **Each?

**Mara. **Total.

**Lowbacca. **I'm not feeling so good.

_Luke stares at Mara in disbelief._

**Mara. **Hey, the Fallanassi hovertaxi is the fastest way to the Praxeum.

**Luke. **Then why didn't you take it from Myrkr?

**Mara. **That's outside their service area. They only serve Coruscant and surrounding systems.

**Enara. **We've had famous beings in this hovertaxi, such as Skywalker. Do you remember him?

**Nashira. **Don't remind me. And we didn't have a hovertaxi back then, you old schutta. That was three millennia ago.

**Enara. **Give me the tooth.

_Enara lunges at Nashira, but Nashira bats her hand away._

**Nashira. **Only if Eliya gives me the eye.

**Eliya. **No. You had it yesterday.

**Nashira. **But I'm the one driving.

**Eliya. **Excuses. Turn. That was your turn.

_Nashira swerves down the road._

_Enara tries to grab at Nashira's face, the same time as Nashira tries to grab at Eliya's. As they fight, Enara yanks the tooth out of Nashira's mouth, causing her to swerve toward the edge of the Rainbow Bridge._

**Nashira. **Give it back. Give it back.

_Lowbacca groans and clutches his stomach._

**Luke. **If anybody's interested, we're going to die.

**Mara. **Don't worry. The Fallanassi know what they're doing. They're really very wise.

**Enara. **_[grins] _Yes, wise. We know things.

**Nashira. **Every world in the Coruscant system, the capital of Honoghr.

**Eliya. **The location you seek.

_Enara and Nashira slap Eliya._

**Both. **Be quiet. Be quiet. He didn't even ask yet.

**Luke. **What? What location? I'm not seeking any . . .

**Eliya. **Nothing. You're right, boy. It's nothing.

**Luke. **Tell me.

**Fallanassi. **No.

**Eliya. **The last time we told, it was horrible.

**Enara. **Our eye was tossed in a nebula.

**Nashira. **It took us years to find it again. And speaking of that, give it back.

**Enara. **No.

**Nashira. **Eye. Give me.

_Nashira makes a grab for the eye, knocking it out of Enara's head. It lands nearby Luke._

**Fallanassi. **I can't see.

**Nashira. **Give me the eye.

**Mara. **_[to Luke] _Give her the eye.

**Luke. **I don't have it.

**Mara. **There, by your foot. Don't step on it. Get it.

**Luke. **I'm not picking that up.

_As the hovertaxi begins to accelerate uncontrollably, Luke reaches down and picks up the eye._

**Enara. **Nice boy. Give it back.

**Luke. **Not until you explain. What were you talking about, the location I seek?

**Nashira. **No time. Accelerating.

_Luke looks out the window and notices they are already approaching Centax._

**Mara. **Luke. They can't find our destination without the eye. We'll just keep accelerating until we break into a million pieces.

**Luke. **First they have to tell me. Or I'll open the window and throw the eye into oncoming traffic

**Fallanassi. **No. Too dangerous.

**Luke. **I'm opening the window.

**Fallanassi. **Wait. T-7 to O-6.

**Luke. **What do you mean? That makes no sense.

**Enara. **T-7 to O-6. That's all we can tell you. Now give us the eye. We're almost to the Praxeum.

_Luke notices their approaching Jaina's tree at the entrance to the Jedi Praxeum._

**Mara. **Luke. Give them the eye now.

_Luke throws the eye onto Nashira's lap._

_Nashira places the eye in._

**Nashira. **O!

_Nashira slams on the brakes, stopping in front of the Manarai Mountains._

**Lowbacca. **I'm better now.

**Luke. **_[to the Fallanassi] _All right. Now tell me what those numbers mean.

**Mara. **There's no time. We have to get out now.

_Luke glances out the window._

_Enter the Basilisk war droids (reptilian-looking automatons with heavy armor, claws, and laser cannons), which are currently attacking the Jedi Praxeum, fighting off the defense set up by Jedi Knight Saba Sebatyne._

_Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca deboard the hovertaxi._

_Exit all._


	7. Basilisk War Droids

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca, at the Manarai Mountains._

_The Basilisk war droids move past the boundary line, which Jaina's tree should have prevented._

**Mara. **Oh, stang.

_Enter Saba Sebatyne, leading the assault against the war droids._

**Saba. **Border patrol, to this one.

**Luke. **_[aside] _Border patrol? When did we have a border patrol?

**Mara. **Saba. Come on. We have to help her.

_Luke activates his lightsaber._

**Luke. **_[to Lowbacca] _Lowie. You stay here. I don't want your taking any more chances.

**Mara. **No. We need him.

_Luke stares at Mara._

**Luke. **He's mundane. The Force was with him during the gundark attack. But we can't . . .

**Mara. **Luke. Do you know what those are up there? The Basilisk war droids, made by Yun-Ne'Shel himself. We can't fight them without cortosis. We'll get burned to a crisp.

**Luke. **Cortosis?

**Mara. **I had a vial of it sitting on my nightstand at home. Why didn't I bring it?

**Luke. **Look, I don't know what you're talking about. But I'm not going to let Lowie get blasted.

**Mara. **Luke . . .

**Luke. **Lowie. Stay back. _[raises his lightsaber] _I'm going in.

_Lowbacca tries to protest._

_Ignoring the Wookiee, Luke runs toward Saba and her Knights._

_Mara runs toward four Jedi to help, baiting one of the droids into following her, then throws on her cloaking device, completely confusing the droid._

_The other Basilisk droid charges Saba's line. It fires its laser cannons._

**Saba. **Hold the line.

_The second droid, losing interest in Mara, turns and charges Saba._

**Luke. **Behind you. Look out.

_Saba jumps, and the droid crashes into her shield, causing the phalanx to break up. Saba flies backward into the grass. The droid fires its laser cannons, melting the other Jedi's shields. The Jedi flee, as the second droid closes in on Saba for the kill._

_Luke jumps forward and drags Saba out of the way. He slashes at the droid with his lightsaber, but his attempt is fruitless._

**Saba. **Let this one go. _[recognizes her rescuer] _Luke. Damn you.

_Luke drops Saba near Jaina's tree, then returns to the fight._

_Luke and Mara stand between the droids and the Jedi Praxeum._

**Mara. **_[to the Jedi] _Spread out and keep the droids distracted.

_The first droid runs a wide arc, making its way back to Luke. It breaks right through the boundary line and charges Luke. The second droid stops in front of Luke, aiming its laser cannons._

_Luk__e lunges as the droid fires its laser cannons. He rolls aside, but his foot is still burned by the droid's cannons. The Jedi slashes with his lightsaber and slices off part of the droid's snout. __It gallops away, disoriented._

_As Luke struggles to stand and collapses, the war droid prepares to charge him._

Lowbacca. Help him.

_Lowbacca struggles to pass the boundary line._

**Lowbacca. **I can't get through.

**Mara. **I, Mara Jade, give you permission to enter the Praxeum.

_Thunder sounds, and Lowbacca charges toward the war droid._

**Lowbacca. **Luke needs help.

_Lowbacca dives between Luke and the Basilisk._

**Luke. **Lowie.

_The droid fires its laser cannons, but its fire is unable to pierce Lowbacca's thick Wookiee hide._

_In a full Wookiee rage, Lowbacca attacks the war droid._

**Lowbacca. **Bad droid!

_The droid stumbles backward, its durasteel armor crushed._

Down.

_The droid crumples to the ground and explodes._

_Mara runs over to Luke and feeds him a vial of bacta._

**Luke. **The other droid?

_Mara points, indicating the second droid has already been pierced with Saba's vibrolance. It is now circling around, confused._

_Saba marches over to Luke and Mara, looking furious._

**Saba. **_[angry] _You ruin everything. This one had it under control.

**Mara. **_[sarcastic] _Good to see you, too, Saba.

**Saba. **O! Don't ever try saving this one again.

**Mara. **Saba. You've got wounded Knights.

**Saba. **_[scowls] _This one will be back.

_Exit Saba._

**Luke. **_[to Lowbacca] _You didn't die.

**Lowbacca. **I am sorry. I came to help you. I disobeyed you.

**Mara. **It was my fault. I had no choice. I had to let Lowbacca cross the boundary line to save you. Otherwise, you would have died.

**Luke. **Let him cross the boundary line? But . . .

**Mara. **Luke. Have you ever looked at Lowbacca closely? I mean, in the face. Ignore the Force, and really look at him.

_Luke looks past the Force illusions and sees Lowbacca as he really is: a Wookiee._

**Luke. **Lowie. You're a . . .

**Mara. **Wookiee. A youngling, by the looks of him. That's probably why he couldn't get across the boundary line as easily as the droids. Lowie's one of the homeless orphans.

**Luke. **One of the what?

**Mara. **_[distasteful] _They're on nearly all ecumenopoleis. They're . . . mistakes, Luke, children of Melodies and Je'daii . . . well, one Je'daii in particular, usually. And they don't always come out right. No one wants them. They get tossed aside. They grow up wild on the streets. I don't know how this one found you. But he obviously likes you. We should take him to Yoda, let him decide what to do.

**Luke. **But the fire . . . how . . . ?

**Mara. **_[grimaces] _He's a Wookiee. They work the forges of the Je'daii. They have to be immune to fire. That's what I was trying to tell you.

_Enter Saba._

**Saba. **Skywalker. If you can stand, get up. These ones need to carry the wounded back to the Jedi Temple, let Qordiz know what haz happened.

**Luke. **Qordis?

**Saba. **The activities director.

**Luke. **Yoda is the activities director. And where's Jurokk? He's the Gate Keeper. He should be here.

**Saba. **_[scowls] _Jurokk waz expelled. You two have been gone too long. Thingz are changing.

**Luke. **But Yoda . . . He's trained Jedi for over three millennia. He can't just been gone. What happened?

**Saba. **_[irritable] _That happened.

_Saba indicates Jaina's tree, which is clearly dying._

Somebody poizoned it.

_Exit all._


	8. Yoda's Departure

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca, in the Jedi Praxeum._

**Lowbacca. **What's that?

**Luke. **The stables for the aiwhas, the winged equines.

**Lowbacca. **What's that?

**Luke. **Er, those are the 'freshers.

**Lowbacca. **What's that?

**Luke. **The cabins for the apprentices. If they don't know who you're Je'daii parent is, they put you in the Yun-Shuno cabin, that brown one over there, until you're determined. Then, once they know, they put you in your mother or father's group.

**Lowbacca. **_[amazed] _You . . . have a cabin?

**Luke. **Number three.

**Lowbacca. **You live with friends in the cabin.

**Luke. **No. It's just me.

_Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca enter the Jedi Temple._

_Enter Yoda, in Chironian form._

**Lowbacca. **Gaupa.

**Yoda. **_[offended] _I beg your pardon?

_Mara embraces Yoda._

**Mara. **Master. What's happening? You're not . . . leaving?

**Yoda. **_[smiles] _Hello, child. And Luke, by the Force . . . you've grown over the year.

**Luke. **_[swallows] _Saba said you were . . . you were . . .

**Yoda. **Expelled. Ah, well. Somebody had to take the blame. Lord Sekot was most upset. The tree he'd created from the spirit of his daughter, poisoned? Master Q had to punish someone.

**Luke. **_[angry] _Besides himself, you mean?

**Mara. **But this is mad. Master, you couldn't have had anything to do with poisoning Jaina's tree.

**Yoda. **Nevertheless, some on Tython do not trust me now, under the circumstances.

**Luke. **What circumstances?

_Yoda's face darkens as he continues packing._

**Lowbacca. **Gaupa?

**Yoda. **_[sniffs] _My dear young Wookiee. I am a Chironian.

**Luke. **Master. What about the tree? What happened?

**Yoda. **_[shakes his head] _The poison used on Jaina's tree is something from the Netherworld, Luke, some venom even I have never seen. It must have come from a monster quite deep in the Maw Cluster.

**Luke. **Then we know who's responsible: Pal . . .

**Yoda. **Do not invoke the Sith Emperor's name, Luke, especially not here . . . not now.

**Luke. **But last summer he tried to cause a civil war on Tython. This has to be his idea. He'd get Jacen to do it, that traitor.

**Yoda. **Perhaps. But I fear I am being held responsible because I did not prevent it, and I cannot cure it. The tree has only a few weeks of life left, unless . . .

**Mara. **Unless what?

**Yoda. **No, a foolish thought. The whole valley is feeling the shock of the poison. The magical borders are deteriorating. The Praxeum itself is dying. Only one source of the Force would be strong enough to reverse the poison. And it was lost centuries ago.

**Luke. **What is it? We'll go find it.

_Yoda closes his bag and looks over at Luke._

**Yoda. **You must promise me that you will not act rashly. I told your mother I did not want you to come here at all this summer. It's much too dangerous. But now that you are here, stay here. Train hard. Learn to fight. But do not leave.

**Luke. **Why? I want to do something. I can't just let the borders fail. The whole Praxeum will be . . .

**Yoda. **Overrun by monsters. Yes, I fear so. But you must not let yourself be baited into hasty action. This could be a trap of the Emperor. Remember last summer. He almost took your life. _[to Mara] _Stay with Luke, child. Keep him safe. The prophecy . . . remember it.

**Mara. **I . . . I will. But you told me the Je'daii made you immortal only so long as you were needed to train Jedi. If they dismiss you from the Praxeum . . .

**Yoda. **Swear you will do your best to keep Luke from danger. Swear on the Font of Power.

**Mara. **I . . . I swear it upon the Font of Power.

**Yoda. **Very good. Perhaps my name will be cleared, and I shall return. Until then, I go to visit my wild kinsmen on Chiron. It's possible they know some cure for the poisoned tree that I have forgotten. In any event, I shall stay in exile until this matter is resolved . . . one way or another.

_Mara stifles a sob._

There, now, child. I must entrust your safety to Master Q and the new activities director. We must hope . . . well, perhaps they won't destroy the Praxeum quite as quickly as I fear.

**Luke. **Who is this Qordis character, anyway? Where does he get off taking your job?

_A conch horn sounds._

**Yoda. **Go. You will meet him at the refectory. I will contact your mother, Luke, and let her know you are safe. No doubt she'll be worried now. Just remember my warning. You are in grave danger. Do not think for a moment that the Emperor has forgotten you.

_Yoda turns._

**Lowbacca. **Gaupa. Don't go.

_Exit Yoda._

_Mara and Lowbacca sob in despair._

_Exit all._


	9. Qordis

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca, in the Jedi Temple Refectory._

_Enter the Jedi, in a single file line: the children of Anima (led by Tyria Sarkin, a gray-clad girl with blond hair and green eyes), the children of Yun-Yammka (led by Saba Sebatyne), the children of Ashla (led by Mara Jade), the children of Yavin (led by Ton Phanan, a scarred young man with several cybernetic implants), the children of Yun-Ne'Shel (led by Ganner Rhysode, a handsome young man with dark hair and blue eyes), the children of Yun-Q'aah (led by Seha Dorvald, a young girl with auburn hair), the children of Yun-Shuno (led by Davin and Chak Fel), the children of Qel-Droma (Biggs and Gavin Darklighter, two mustached young men with dark hair and brown eyes), and finally, the children of Vader (Luke Skywalker and Lowbacca)._

_As Luke and Lowbacca approach their table, the other Jedi begin muttering in disgust._

**Barriss's Voice. **Who invited that?

_Luke looks over, but is unable to trace the voice to Barriss Offee, daughter of Yavin._

_Enter Qel-Droma and Qordis, a tall gaunt man with a cruel demeaner and a taste for luxury._

**Qel-Droma. **Well, well. If it isn't Lars Starkiller. My millennium is complete.

**Luke. **_[through gritted teeth] _Luke Skywalker, sir.

_Qel-Droma sips his fizzade._

**Qel-Droma. **Yes. Well, as you young people say these days, whatever. _[to Qordis] _You need to watch this boy. Vader's child, you know.

** Qordis, **O! That one. _[smiles coldly] _I am Qordis. I'm on special assignment here until . . . well, until my Lord Qel-Droma decides otherwise. And, Luke Skywalker, I do expect you to refrain from causing any more trouble.

**Luke. **Trouble?

_Using the Force, Qel-Droma conjures a clipping of the HoloNet News, which features holojournalist Javis Tyrr's report on the gundark attack, which makes Luke out to be the villain._

** Qordis, **_[smiles] _Yes, trouble. You caused plenty of it last summer, I understand.

**Luke. **_[aside, angry] _Like it's my fault the Je'daii almost got into a civil war?

_Enter Denjax Teppler, a dark-haired Corellian male, who serves Qordis a goblet._

** Qordis. **Fizzee. Whyren's Reserve. Republic Classic era.

_Qordis's goblet fills with fizzee. He stretches his hand hesitantly._

_Qel-Droma's brown eyes glint with amusement._

**Qel-Droma. **Go on, then, old man. Perhaps now it will work.

_Qordis reaches for his goblet, but it scoots away, spilling the fizzee. He then tries to eat his barbecue, but it does the same thing._

** Qordis, **Kriff.

**Qel-Droma. **_[with false sympathy] _Ah, well. Perhaps a few more days. Believe me, old man, working at this Praxeum will be torture enough. I'm sure your old curse will fade eventually.

** Qordis, **_[glances at Qel-Droma's fizzade] _Eventually. Do you have any idea how dry one's throat gets after three millennia?

**Luke. **You're that spirit from Chaos, the one who stands in the lake with the fruit tree hanging over you, but you can't eat or drink.

** Qordis, **_[sneers] _A real scholar, aren't you, boy?

**Luke. **_[mildly impressed] _You must have done something really horrible when you were alive. What was it?

_As Qordis narrows his eyes, Teppler shakes his head warningly._

** Qordis, **I'll be watching you, Luke Skywalker. I don't want any problems at my academy.

**Luke. **Your academy has problems already, sir.

**Qel-Droma. **_[sighs] _Oh, go sit down, Starkiller. I believe that table over there is yours — the one where no one else ever wants to sit.

_Luke scowls._

**Luke. **_[to Lowbacca]_ Come on, Lowie.

** Qordis, **Oh, no. The beast stays here. We must decide what to do with it.

**Luke. **_[angry] _Him. His name is Lowbacca.

_Qordis raises an eyebrow._

_Lowie saved the Praxeum. He pounded those war droids. Otherwise, they would have burned down the whole place._

** Qordis, **_[sarcastic] _Yes. And what a pity that would have been.

_Qel-Droma laughs._

Leave us, while we discuss this creature's fate.

_Lowbacca looks at Luke fearfully._

**Luke. **_[to Lowbacca] _I'll be right over here, pal. Don't worry. We'll find you a good place to sleep tonight.

**Lowbacca. **_[nods] _I believe you. You are my friend.

_Luke sits at the Vader table, where a Melodie serves him food._

_Luke sighs and approaches the pyre to send his offerings to Lord Vader._

**Luke. **Father. Accept my offering. _[aside] _And send me some help while you're at it. Please.

_Luke returns to his seat._

_All eat._

Teppler blows a conch shell, and Qordis rises for announcements.

** Qordis,** Yes, well, another fine dinner. Or so I am told.

_Qordis tries to sneak up on his food, but his attempt is in vain. He sighs and gives up._

And here on my first day of authority, I'd like to say what a pleasant form of punishment it is to be here. Over the course of the summer, I hope to torture, er, interact with each and every one of you Jedi. You all look good enough to eat.

_Qel-Droma applauds._

_Lowbacca tries to retreat, but Qordis pulls him back._

And now some changes. We are reinstituting the Podraces.

_All Jedi mutter with excitement, disbelief, or fear._

Now I know that these races were discontinued some years ago due to, ah, technical problems.

**Jusik. **Three deaths and twenty-six mutilations.

** Qordis, **Yes, yes. But I know that you will all join me in welcoming the return of this Jedi tradition. Aurodium laurels will go to the winning Podracers each month. Teams may register in the morning. The first race will be held in three days time. We will release you from most of your regular activities to prepare your Podracers and choose your equus. Oh, and did I mention, the victorious team's cabin will have no chores for the month in which they win?

_All Jedi but Luke, Mara, and Saba cheer._

**Saba. **But Master, what about patrol duty? I mean, if the Jedi drop everything to ready our Podracerz . . .

** Qordis, **Ah, the hero of the day. Brave Saba, who singlehandedly bested the Basilisk war droids.

**Saba. **_[looks uncomfortable] _Er, this one didn't . . .

** Qordis, **_[grins] _And modest, too. Not to worry, dear. This is a Jedi academy. But we can still enjoy ourselves, no?

**Saba. **But the tree . . .

** Qordis, **_[ignores Saba] _And now, before we proceed to the campfire and sing-along, we have one slight housekeeping issue. Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade have seen fit, for some reason, to bring this _thing _here. _[indicates Lowbacca] _Now, of course, Wookiees have a reputation for being bloodthirsty monsters with a very small brain capacity. Under normal circumstances, I would release this beast into the woods and have you hunt it down with torches and pointed sticks. But who knows? Perhaps this Wookiee is not as horrible as most of its brethren. Until it proves worthy of destruction, we need a place to keep it. I've thought about the stables. But that will make the aiwhas nervous. Yun-Shuno's cabin, possibly?

_Davin and Chak look away nervously._

Come now. The beast may be able to do some menial chores. Any suggestions as to where such a beast should be kenneled?

_The symbol of Vader appears before Lowbacca._

_All gasp. Qordis scoots away in surprise._

_Following Qordis's lead, all but Luke, Mara, and a few others roar with laughter._

Well, I think we know where to put the beast now. By the dark side, I can see the family resemblance.

_All but a few laugh._

_Lowbacca looks up at the sign, confused._

**Luke. **_[aside] _Lowie may not realize it, but I do. I have a new cabin mate. I've got a Wookiee for a half-brother.

_Exit all._


	10. Luke and Mara

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke and Lowbacca, in cabin three._

**Lowbacca. **Luke is my brother?

**Luke. **Oh, Lowie. It's not that simple. _[aside] _But there is no explaining it to him. He's in paradise. And me . . . well, as much as I like the big guy, I can't help feeling embarrassed, ashamed. There, I said it. My father, the all-powerful Lord Vader, fell for some Melodie, and Lowbacca was the result. I mean, I read the myths about Wookiees. I even remember that they were often Vader's children. But I never really processed that this made them my . . . family, until now.

_Luke enters the wider Jedi Praxeum, where other Jedi make several snide comments about Luke and Lowbacca._

_Exit Lowbacca._

_[to all] _He's not my real brother. He's more like a half-brother on the monstrous side of the family. Like . . . a half-brother twice removed, or something. _[aside] _Nobody buys it. I must admit it: I'm angry with my father. Now being his son feels like a joke.

_Enter Mara._

**Mara. **Don't worry about it, Luke. Why don't we work together to build this Podracer. With your father and my mother, we should own this track.

_Enter Erisi Dlarit, a daughter of Yun-Q'aah with short black hair and blue eyes, among her fellow children of Yun-Q'aah._

**Erisi. **Say, Skywalker, do you need to borrow some eyeliner for your eye . . . sorry, _eyes_.

_Erisi and her siblings laugh and exit._

**Mara. **Just ignore them, Skywalker. It isn't your fault you have a monster for a brother.

**Luke. **He's not my brother. And he's not a monster, either.

**Mara. **_[raises her eyebrows] _Hey, don't get mad at me. And technically, he _is _a monster.

**Luke. **Well, you gave him permission to enter the Praxeum.

**Mara. **Because it was the only way to save your life. I mean, I'm sorry, Luke. I didn't expect Vader to claim him. Wookiees are the most deceitful, treacherous . . .

**Luke. **He is not. What have you got against Wookiees, anyway?

**Mara. **_[blushes] _Just forget it. Now, the engines for this Podracer . . .

**Luke. **You're treating him like he's this horrible thing. He saved my life.

_Mara throws her stylus to the ground._

**Mara. **_[rising] _Then maybe you should design a Podracer with him.

**Luke. **Maybe I should.

**Mara. **Fine.

**Luke. **Fine.

_Exit Mara, storming off._

_[sighs] _Now I feel more miserable than ever.

_Exit Luke._


	11. Aiwha Riding

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, in the Jedi Praxeum._

**Luke. **_[aside] _Over the next couple of days, I've tried to keep my mind off my problems.

_Enter Seha, who gives Luke his first aiwha riding lesson._

**Seha. **Now, there is only one immortal winged equine named Aiwha, who still wanders free somewhere in the galaxy. But over the eons, he has sired a lot of children, none quite so fast or heroic, but all named after the first and greatest.

_Luke mounts an aiwha and takes flight._

**Luke. **_[aside] _Being the son of the Sea Je'daii, I never like going into the air. My father has this rivalry with Sekot. So, I try to stay out of the King of Tython's domain as much as possible. But riding an aiwha feels different. It doesn't make me nearly as nervous as being in an airspeeder. Maybe that's because my father created equines out of sea foam, so the aiwhas are sort of . . . neutral territory. I can understand their thoughts.

_The aiwha gallops over the treetops, then chases a few hawk-bats._

_Enter Lowbacca, below with Seha._

The problem is that Lowie wants to ride the "avian equus," too. But the aiwhas get skittish whenever he approaches. I try to tell them that Lowie won't hurt them. But they don't seem to believe me. This makes Lowie cry.

_Luke lands and dismounts his aiwha._

_Exit Seha._

_Enter Ganner, who with Lowbacca._

The only Jedi who has no problem with Lowie is Ganner Rhysode, son of Yun-Ne'Shel. The shaper god has always worked with Wookiees in his forges, so Ganner has taken Lowie down to the armory to teach him the art of shaping.

_Ganner and Lowbacca return later._

**Ganner. **Don't worry, Luke. I'll have him crafting Force-sensitive objects in no time.

_Exit Ganner and Lowbacca._

_Luke enters the Jedi Temple Sparring Arena, where he alternatively duels Phanan, Tekli, and Dorsk 81._

**Luke. **_[aside] _Swordplay has always been my strength. Beings say I'm better at it than any Jedi in the last hundred years, except maybe Jacen. Beings always compare me to Jacen.

_Exit Phanan, Tekli, and Dorsk 81._

I thrashed the sons and daughters of Yavin easily. I should have tested myself against the Yun-Yammka and Ashla cabins, since they have the best swordsmen. But I don't get along with Saba and her siblings. And after my argument with Mara, I just don't want to see her. I would go to archery class, even though I was terrible at it. But it just isn't the same without Yoda.

_Luke enters the arts and crafts building, where he builds a bronzium bust._

Oh, stang. That was supposed to be Vader. Now, it looks more like Tetran Cowall. I'm just going to give up on this.

_Later, Luke stands guard outside the Jedi Praxeum._

Even though, Qordis insists we forget trying to protect the Praxeum, some of us quietly keep it up, working out a schedule during our free times.

_Luke sits, watching as a team of Corellians, Melodies, and Jedi healers vainly try to heal Jaina's tree._

_Luke leaps to his feet._

_[angry] _Jacen did this. I remember his sly smile, the terentatek-claw scar across his face. He pretended to be my friend, while the whole time he was Palpatine's chief servant.

Exit all.


	12. Luke and Lowbacca

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke and Lowbacca, in cabin three._

_Luke scowls._

**Lowbacca. **You are angry?

**Luke. **_[scowl fades] _No. I'm not angry.

_Lowbacca lays down._

**Lowbacca. **I am a monster.

**Luke. **Don't say that.

**Lowbacca. **It is okay. I will be a good monster. Then you will not have to be angry.

**Luke. **_[sighs] _It's just . . . I never had a half-brother before. It's really different for me. And I'm worried about the Praxeum. And another friend of mine, Corran . . . he might be in trouble. I keep feeling like I should be doing something to help. But I don't know what.

_Lowbacca falls asleep._

I'm sorry. It's not your fault. I'm angry at Father. I feel like he's trying to embarrass me, like he's trying to compare us or something. And I don't understand why.

_Luke realizes that Lowbacca is asleep._

_[sighs] _Good night, big guy.

_Luke sleeps._

_Exit all._


	13. Battle Meld

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke and Corran, in the Unknown Regions._

_Corran sits in Monarg's Mechanic Works, dressed in wedding dress._

**Corran. **_[to Luke] _Thank the Force. Can you hear me?

_Luke blinks._

Luke. Please, I don't have the strength to project any better. You have to hear me.

**Luke. **I hear you. Corran, what's going on?

**Monarg's Voice. **Sweetheart. Are you done yet?

**Corran. **_[imitates a Wookiee female] _Not quite, dear. A few more days.

**Monarg's Voice. **O! Hasn't it been two weeks already?

**Corran. **N-no, dear. Just five days. That leaves twelve more to go.

**Monarg's Voice. **_[hesitates] _All right. But hurry. I want to _see _under that veil.

_Monarg laughs._

_Corran turns back to Luke._

**Corran. **_[regular voice] _You have to help me. No time. I'm stuck in this cave on a moon in space.

**Luke. **Where?

**Corran. **I don't know exactly. I went to the Chiron system and turned left.

**Luke. **What? How did you . . . ?

**Corran. **It's a trap. It's the reason no Corellian has ever returned from this quest. He's a shepherd, Luke. And he has it. Its life energy is so powerful it smells just like the great Prophet Yu'shaa. The Corellians come here thinking they've found Yu'shaa, and they get trapped and eaten by Monarg.

**Luke. **_[frowns] _Mon-who?

**Corran. **The Wookiee. I almost got away. I made it all the way to New Alderaan.

**Luke. **But he followed you and trapped you in a bridal boutique.

**Corran. **That's right. My first battle meld must have worked, then. Look, this bridal dress is the only thing keeping me alive. He thinks I smell good. But I told him it was just Bothan-scented perfume. Thank the Force he can't see very well. His eye is still half blind from the last time somebody poked it out. But soon he'll realize what I am. He's only giving me two weeks to finish the bridal train. And he's getting impatient.

**Luke. **Wait a minute. This Wookiee thinks you're a . . .

**Corran. **_[fearful] _Yes. He thinks I'm a Wookiee female, and he wants to marry me.

**Luke. **I'll come rescue you. Where are you?

**Corran. **The Unknown Regions, of course.

**Luke. **The unknown what?

**Corran. **I told you. I don't know exactly where. And look, Luke, I'm really sorry about this, but this battle meld . . . well, I had no choice. Our emotions are connected now. If I die . . .

**Luke. **Don't tell me. I'll die, too.

**Corran. **Oh, well, perhaps not. You might live for years in a vegetative state. But it would be a lot better if you got me out of here.

**Monarg's Voice. **Sweetheart. Dinnertime. Shaak meat.

**Corran. **_[whimpers] _I have to go. Hurry.

**Luke. **Wait. You said "it" was here. What?

**Corran. **Sweet dreams. Don't let me die.

_Exit Corran._

_Luke awakes at the Jedi Praxeum._

_Enter Lowbacca._

**Lowbacca. **Are you okay?

_Luke jumps, startled._

_Exit all._


	14. Podracing

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke and Lowbacca, at the Jedi Praxeum._

_Luke and Lowbacca pass a flock of hawk-bats in the trees as they enter the Podrace track._

_Enter Qordis, the Corellians, the Melodies, and a few Jedi, among the spectators._

** Qordis, **_[into megaphone] _Right. You all know the rules. A quarter-mile track. Twice around to win. Two beasts per Podracer. Each team will consist of a driver and a fighter. Weapons are allowed. Dirty tricks are expected. But try not to kill anybody. _[smiles evilly] _Any killing will result in harsh punishment. No hot chocolate at the campfire for a week. Now ready your racers.

_Enter the racers: Ganner Rhysode and Kenth Hamner (a fit Jedi with short brown hair and dark eyes), on a bronzium Podracer pulled by reeks; Saba Sebatyne and Tesar Sebatyne, on an obsidian Podracer pulled by a team of nek battle dogs; Ton Phanan and Tekli, on a Podracer pulled by gualaars; Davin and Chak Fel, on an ancient-looking Podracer pulled by bordoks; Mara Jade and Kyle Katarn (a human male six years Mara's senior with brown hair and eyes), on a Podracer pulled by vornskrs; and Luke Skywalker and Lowbacca, on a Podracer pulled by a pair of equus._

_Luke walks over to Mara and explains his dream, which causes her to grow suspicious._

**Mara. **_[narrows her eyes] _You're trying to distract me.

**Luke. **What? No, I'm not.

**Mara. **_[sarcastic] _Oh, right. Like Corran would just happen to stumble across the one thing that could save the Praxeum.

**Luke. **What do you mean?

**Mara. **_[rolls her eyes] _Go back to your Podracer, Skywalker.

**Luke. **I'm not making this up. He's in trouble, Mara.

**Mara. **_[hesitates] _Luke. A battle meld is hard to do. I mean, it's more likely you really were dreaming.

**Luke. **The Prophet. We should consult the Prophet.

_Mara opens her mouth, but the conch horn sounds._

** Qordis, **_[over megaphone] _Podracers. To your mark.

**Mara. **We'll talk later, after I win.

_Luke, meanwhile noticing the strange behavior of the hawk-bats, walks over to Lowbacca, who is trying to get the struggling equus in line._

**First Equus. **He's a monster, Lord.

**Luke. **He's a son of Vader, just like . . . well, me.

**Second Equus. **No. Monster. Equus-eater. Not trusted.

**Luke. **I'll give you sugar cubes at the end of the race.

**Both Equus. **Sugar cubes?

**Luke. **Very big sugar cubes. And apples. Did I mention apples?

_The equus nod their consent._

_As the Podracers queue up at the starting line, Luke hands Lowbacca an electropole._

**Lowbacca. **No hitting equus with the electropole.

**Luke. **No. Or beings, either, if you can avoid it. We're going to run a clean race. Just keep the distractions away and let me concentrating on driving.

**Lowbacca. **_[beams] _We will win.

**Luke. **_[aside] _We are so going to lose. But I have to try. I want to show the others . . . well, I'm not sure what, exactly: that Lowie isn't such a bad guy, that I'm not ashamed of being seen with him in public . . . maybe that they didn't hurt me with all their jokes?

_Luke glances up nervously at the screeching hawk-bats, but Qordis pays them no mind._

** Qordis, **_[into megaphone] _Podracers. Attend your mark.

_The race begins._

_The Fels' racer rams into Phanan and Tekli's racer, which flips over. Phanan and Tekli are thrown free, but the panicked gualaars flee. As the Fels laugh with glee, the gualaars ram into them, and they, too, flip over._

_Luke and Lowbacca are a head of the Sebatynes, but Mara and Kyle are way ahead of them._

_Kyle waves at Luke and Lowbacca._

**Kyle. **See you.

_Ganner and Hamner pass Luke and Lowbacca._

**Ganner. **Sorry, Luke.

_Ganner aims his harpoon and tow cables at the Podracer's engines, but Lowbacca swipes them aside with his electropole. The Wookiee shoves Ganner's Podracer and sends them skittering sideways, as Luke and Lowbacca pull ahead._

**Luke. **Nice work, Lowie.

_The hawk-bats take flight._

**Lowbacca. **Avians.

**Luke. **What?

_Luke sees the hawk-bats._

_[aside] _No big deal. They're just avians, right?

_Luke and Lowbacca advance on Mara and Kyle._

_Kyle raises an electropole and aims it at Luke, but he is interrupted as the hawk-bats dive and attack the spectators and Podracers alike._

_As the hawk-bats attack Ganner's Podracer, Hamner tries to fight back, but it is to no avail. Ganner's Podracer crashes._

**Saba. **Tesar.

_Tesar throws a camouflage netting over Saba's Podracer._

_The Barabels move on._

_The hawk-bats claw at any exposed flesh._

_Mara drives over to Luke's Podracer._

**Mara. **Hawk-bats. They'll strip everyone to bones if we don't drive them away.

**Luke. **_[to Lowbacca] _Lowie. We're turning around.

**Lowbacca. **Going the wrong way?

**Luke. **Always.

_Luke and Mara drive their respective Podracers toward the stands._

**Mara. **_[to all] _Jedi. To arms.

_Luke activates his lightsaber and attacks the hawk-bats, but there are too many of them._

_Mara's siblings arm themselves with lightsabers and shields, as the children of Yavin arm themselves with bows and arrows. However, for the latter, it is too dangerous to shoot with so many Jedi in the vicinity._

**Luke. **There's too many of them. How do you get rid of them?

_Mara stabs at a hawk-bat with her vibroblade._

**Mara. **Anakin used noise, brass bells. He scared them away with the most horrible sound he could . . . _[gasps] _Luke. Yoda's collection.

**Luke. **You think it will work?

_Mara hands Kyle the reins and leaps into Luke's Podracer._

**Mara. **To the Temple. It's our only chance.

_Luke and Mara drive toward the Jedi Temple._

_Passing the finish line, Saba seems to realize for the first time how serious the hawk-bats are._

**Saba. **_[seeing Luke and Mara] _You're running? The fight iz here, shenbitz.

_Saba activates her lightsaber and charges toward the hawk-bats._

_Luke and Mara run into the Jedi Temple and enter Yoda's quarters. They retrieve Yoda's music player and return to the Podracing track._

** Qordis, **_[over megaphone] _Everything's under control. Not to worry.

_Luke and Mara set the music player on the ground and press play. Music blares out of the player, causing the hawk-bats to go mad, flying away from the Jedi._

**Mara. **Now. Archers.

_The children of Yavin, led by Ton Phanan, fire on the hawk-bats._

_The hawk-bats die._

_ Qordis steps forward._

** Qordis, **Bravo. We have our first winner.

_ Qordis awards the laurels to a stunned Saba, then looks over at Luke and Mara and smiles evilly._

And now to punish the troublemakers who interrupted the race. . . .

_Exit all._


	15. Mara's Explanation

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca, among the Twi'leks in the kitchen, cleaning._

_As they wash dishes with lava, Luke explains his dream to Mara in full detail._

**Mara. **If he's really found it, and if we could retrieve it . . .

**Luke. **Hold on. You act like this . . . whatever-it-is Corran found is the only thing in the galaxy that could save the Praxeum. What is it?

**Mara. **I'll give you a hint. What do you call a solid in which the constituents are packed in a regularly ordered, repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions?

**Luke. **I don't know.

**Mara. **A crystal. It is called a crystal. And if that crystal happened to have awesome healing powers . . .

**Luke. **The Healing Crystals of Fire. Are you serious?

**Mara. **Luke. Remember the Fallanassi? They said they knew the location of the thing you seek. Three millennia ago, they told Jacen how to find the Healing Crystals of Fire. You do know the story of Jacen and the Revanchists?

**Luke. **Yes. That old holodrama with the holographic zombies.

**Mara. **_[rolls her eyes] _Emperor's Bones, Skywalker. You are hopeless.

**Luke. **What?

**Mara. **Just listen. The real story of the Healing Crystals: there were these two children of Sekot, Relin Druur and Saes Rrogon, okay? They were about to get offered up as sacrifices, when they prayed to Sekot to save them. So Sekot sent this yacht fueled with Force-sensitive crystals, which picked them up on old Corellia and carried them all the way to Basilisk in the Core Worlds. Well, actually it carried Relin. Saes fell off and died along the way. But that's not important.

**Luke. **It was probably important to him.

**Mara. **The point is, when Relin got to Basilisk, he sacrificed the yacht to the Je'daii and hung the crystals in a tree in the middle of the kingdom. The Healing Crystals of Fire brought prosperity to the world. Animals stopped getting sick. Plants grew better. Farmers had better crops. Plagues never visited. That's why Jacen wanted the crystals. They can revitalize any land where they are placed. They cure sickness, strengthen nature, clean up pollution . . .

**Luke. **They could heal Jaina's tree.

**Mara. **_[nods] _And it would completely strengthen the borders of the Jedi Praxeum. But Luke, the Healing Crystals have been missing for centuries. Several Jedi Knights have searched for them, to no avail.

**Luke. **But Corran found it. He went looking for Yu'shaa. And he found the Healing Crystals instead because they both radiate life energy. It makes sense, Mara. We can rescue him and save the Praxeum at the same time. It's perfect.

**Mara. **_[hesitates] _A little too perfect, don't you think? What if it's a trap?

**Luke. **What choice do we have? Are you going to help me rescue Corran or not?

**Mara. **Luke. We'll have to fight a Wookiee: Monarg, the worst of the Wookiees. And there's only one place his world could be: the Unknown Regions.

**Luke. **Where's that?

_Mara stares at Luke._

**Mara. **The Unknown Regions, the same region where Obi-Wan, Jacen, Jax Pavan, and all the others flew through.

**Luke. **You mean the Core?

**Mara. **No. Well, yes. But no.

**Luke. **_[sarcastic] _Another straight answer. Thanks.

**Mara. **Look, Luke, the Unknown Regions are the regions all Jedi fly through on their adventures. It used to be in the Core, yes. But like everything else, it shifts locations as the Core's center of power shifts.

**Luke. **Like Tython being over the Imperial Palace. And the Netherworld being under Tatooine.

**Mara. **Right.

**Luke. **But a whole region of space full of monsters . . . how could you hide something like that? Wouldn't the mundane notice weird things happening . . . like, ships getting eaten and stuff?

**Mara. **Of course they notice. They don't understand. But they know something is strange about that part of space. The Unknown Regions is off in the galactic east of the GA now, just Rimward of Chiron. The mundane even have a name for it.

**Luke. **Wild Space.

**Mara. **Exactly.

**Luke. **_[frowns] _Okay. So at least we know where to look.

**Mara. **It's still a huge area, Luke. Searching for one tiny planet in monster-infested space . . .

**Luke. **Hey. I'm the son of Vader. How hard can it be?

**Mara. **We'll have to talk to Qordis, get his approval. He will refuse.

**Luke. **Not if we tell him tonight at the campfire in front of everybody. The whole Praxeum will hear. They'll pressure him. He won't be able to refuse.

**Mara. **_[hopeful] _Maybe.

_Exit all._


	16. Saba's Quest

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter the Jedi, with Qordis and Qel-Droma, at the Jedi Praxeum._

_ Qordis fruitlessly tries to eat, then gives up._

** Qordis, **Now then, some announcements about tomorrow's schedule.

_Luke rises._

**Luke. **Master.

** Qordis, **_[smirks] _Our kitchen boy has something to say?

_The Barabels laugh._

_Luke and Mara step into the center of the refectory._

**Luke. **We have an idea to save the Praxeum.

_All Jedi grow interested._

** Qordis, **Indeed. Well, if it has anything to do with Podracing . . .

**Luke. **The Healing Crystals of Fire. We know where it is.

_Luke explains his dream about Corran and Monarg's Mechanic Works._

**Mara. **The Healing Crystals can save the Praxeum. I'm certain of it.

** Qordis, **Nonsense. We don't need saving.

_All stare at Qordis in disbelief._

Besides, the Unknown Regions? That's hardly an exact location. You wouldn't even know where to look.

**Luke. **Yes, I would.

_Mara stares at Luke._

**Mara. **_[aside, to Luke] _You would?

**Luke. **T-7 to O-6.

** Qordis, **_[sarcastic] _Okay. Thank you for sharing those meaningless numbers.

**Luke. **They're grid coordinates.

**Mara. **_[impressed] _Quadrant T-7 to quadrant O-6. He's right. The Fallanassi gave us those coordinates. That would be somewhere between the Ash Worlds and the Quelii sector, the Unknown Regions. We need a quest.

** Qordis, **Wait just a minute.

**All. **We need a quest. We need a quest.

** Qordis, **It isn't necessary.

**All. **We need a quest! We need a quest!

_ Qordis's blue eyes blaze with the dark side._

** Qordis, **_[angry] _Fine. You brats want me to assign a quest?

**All. **Yes!

** Qordis, **Very well. I shall authorize a champion to undertake this perilous journey, to retrieve the Healing Crystals of Fire and bring it back to the Praxeum, or die trying. I will allow our champion to consult the Prophet. And choose two companions for the journey. And I think the choice of champion is obvious. _[glares at Luke and Mara] _The champion should be one who has earned the Praxeum's respect, who has proven resourceful in the Podraces and courageous in the defense of the Praxeum. You shall lead this quest . . . Saba Sebatyne.

_The children of Yun-Yammka cheer._

**Barabels. **Saba! Saba!

**Saba. **_[rising] _This one acceptz the quest.

**Luke. **Wait. Corran is my friend. The dream came to me.

**Tesar. **Sit down. You had your chance last summer.

**Bela. **Yez. He just wantz to be in the spotlight again.

**Saba. **_[glares at Luke] _This one acceptz the quest. This one, Saba Sebatyne, daughter of Yun-Yammka, will save the Praxeum.

_The children of Yun-Yammka cheer._

_Mara and her fellow children of Ashla protest, followed by a few others. Others, however, take Saba's side, leading to a full-out debate._

** Qordis, **_[angry] _Silence, you brats. Sit down. And I will tell you a ghost story.

_All fall silent._

Once upon a time, there was a Korribanian king who was beloved of the Je'daii. This king was even allowed to feast on Tython. But when he tried to take some bota and bacta back to mundane world to figure out the recipe — just one little bag, mind you — the Je'daii punished him. They banned him from their halls forever. His own people mocked him. His children scolded him. Oh, yes, Jedi. He had horrible children . . . children just like you.

_ Qordis indicates the Jedi in the surroundings._

Do you know what he did to his ungrateful children?Do you know how he paid back the Je'daii for their cruel punishment? He invited the Je'daii to a feast at his palace, just to show there were no hard feelings. No one noticed that his children were missing. And when he served the Je'daii dinner, my dear Jedi, can you guess what was in the stew?

_All pale, but no one answers._

Oh, the Je'daii punished him in the afterlife. They did indeed. But he'd had his moment of satisfaction, hadn't he? His children never again spoke back to him or questioned his authority. And do you know what? Rumor has it that the king's spirit now dwells at this very Praxeum, waiting for a chance to take revenge on ungrateful, rebellious children. And so . . . are there any more complaints, before we send Saba off on her quest? _[to Saba] _The Prophet, my dear. Go on.

**Saba. **_[uncomfortable] _Master . . .

** Qordis, **_[snarls] _Go.

Exit Saba.

What about you, Luke Skywalker? No comments from our dishwasher?

_Luke does not respond._

Good. And let me remind everyone, no one leaves this Praxeum without my permission. Anyone who tries . . . well, if they survive the attempt, they will be expelled forever. But it won't come to that. The Twi'leks will be enforcing curfew from now on. And they are always hungry. Good night, my dear Jedi. Sleep well.

_Exit all._


	17. Yun-Shuno

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke and Lowbacca, in cabin three._

_Lowbacca sits in his bed, working on a project made of cortosis._

**Lowbacca. **You will go, anyway?

**Luke. **I don't know. It would be very hard, very hard.

**Lowbacca. **I will help.

**Luke. **No. I . . . er, I couldn't ask you to do that, big guy. It's too dangerous. _[notices Lowbacca's project] _What are you building?

**Lowbacca. **_[whimpers] _Mara does not like Wookiees. You . . . don't want me along.

**Luke. **_[halfhearted] _Oh, that's not it. Mara likes you, really.

_Lowbacca sobs._

**Lowbacca. **Father always cared for m-me. Now, I think he was cruel to have a Wookiee son. I should never have been born.

**Luke. **Don't talk that way. Vader claimed you, didn't he? So, he must care about you . . . a lot. _[sighs] _Lowie. The Praxeum will be a good home for you. The others will get used to you. I promise.

_Lowbacca sighs and sleeps._

_Luke lays awake, thinking._

_[aside] _Can Saba really save the Praxeum? I find the odds are against that. Oh, I need somewhere to think.

_Luke rises and, with a pack of fizzade cans, walks over to the beach and relaxes, looking out on the Unnh River and watching the constellations._

_Enter Yun-Shuno, a many-eyed deity who bears an uncanny resemblance to Jacen Caedus._

**Yun-Shuno. **Beautiful, aren't they?

_Luke looks up in shock._

May I join you? I haven't sat down in ages.

**Luke. **Sure.

**Yun-Shuno. **_[smiles] _Your hospitality does you credit. Oh, and fizzade. May I?

_Yun-Shuno takes a can of fizzade and drinks._

Ah. That hits the spot. Peace and quiet at . . .

_Yun-Shuno's amphistaff, disguised as a comlink, chimes, the two miniature serpents (with the personalities of Han and Leia Solo) being the only hint of its true form._

I've got take this. Hold on. _[into comlink] _Hello? . . . Yes. Listen, I know. But I don't care if he is chained to a rock with rock-vultures pecking at his liver. If he doesn't have a tracking code, we can't locate his package. . . . A gift to sentient life? Great. You know how many of those we deliver . . . ? Oh, never mind. Listen, just refer him to Elan in customer service. I've got to go.

_Yun-Shuno disconnects the comm call._

Sorry. The overnight express business is just booming. Now, as I was saying . . .

**Luke. **You have serpents on your phone.

**Yun-Shuno. **What? Oh, they don't bite. Say hello, Han and Leia.

**Han. **_[sarcastic] _Hello, Han and Leia.

**Leia. **Don't be sarcastic.

**Han. **Why not? I do all the real work.

**Yun-Shuno. **Oh, let's not go into that again.

_Yun-Shuno pockets her amphistaff._

Now, where were we . . . ? Oh, yes. Peace and quiet. _[looks up at the stars] _It's been a while since I've gotten to relax. Ever since the courier droid . . . rush, rush, rush. Do you have a favorite constellation, Luke?

**Luke. **Er, I like Anakin.

**Yun-Shuno. **Why?

**Luke. **Well, because he had rotten luck, even worse than mine. It makes me feel better.

**Yun-Shuno. **_[laughs] _Not because he was strong and famous and all that?

**Luke. **No.

**Yun-Shuno. **You're an interesting young human. And so, what now?

_Luke opens his mouth to answer._

**Leia's Voice. **I have Anima on line two.

**Yun-Shuno. **Not now. Tell her to leave a message.

**Leia's Voice. **She's not going to like that. The last time you blew her off, all the flowers in the floral delivery division wilted.

**Yun-Shuno. **Just tell her I'm in a meeting. _[rolls her eyes] _Sorry again, Luke. You were saying?

**Luke. **_[frowns] _Who are you, exactly?

**Yun-Shuno. **Haven't you guessed by now, a smart human like you?

**Leia's Voice. **Show him. I haven't been full-size for months.

**Han's Voice. **Don't listen to her. She just wants to show off.

_Yun-Shuno removes her amphistaff, still in comlink form._

**Yun-Shuno. **Original form, please.

_The amphistaff assumes its true form. a three-meter long serpentine staff._

**Luke. **You're Jacen's parent, Yun-Shuno.

**Yun-Shuno. **_[purses her lips] _Jacen's parent? Normally, that's not the first way beings introduce me. Goddess of thieves, yes. Goddess of messengers and travelers, if they wish to be kind.

**Han. **Goddess of thieves works.

**Leia. **Oh, don't mind Han. He's just bitter because Yun-Shuno likes me best.

**Han. **He does not

**Leia. **He does, too.

**Yun-Shuno. **Behave, you two, or I'll turn you back into a comlink and set you on vibrate. Now, Luke, you still haven't answered my question. What do you intend to do about the quest?

**Luke. **I . . . I don't have permission to go.

**Yun-Shuno. **No, indeed. Will that stop you?

**Luke. **I want to go. I have to save Corran.

**Yun-Shuno. **_[smiles] _I knew a youngling once . . . Oh, younger than you by far. A mere baby, really.

**Han. **Here we go again. Always talking about himself.

**Leia. **Quiet. Do you want to get set on vibrate?

**Yun-Shuno. **_[ignores Han and Leia] _One night, when this youngling's mother wasn't watching, he sneaked out of their cave and stole some cattle that belonged to Yavin.

**Luke. **Did he get blasted to tiny pieces?

**Yun-Shuno. **Hmm. No. Actually, everything turned out quite well. To make up for his theft, the youngling gave Yavin an instrument he'd invented: a fanfar. Yavin was so enchanted with the music that he forgot all about being angry.

**Luke. **So what's the moral?"

**Yun-Shuno. **The moral? Stang, you act like it's a fable. It's a true story. Does truth have a moral?

**Luke. **Er . . .

**Yun-Shuno. **How about this: stealing is not always bad?

**Luke. **I don't think my mother would like that moral.

**Han. **Vhlors are delicious.

**Leia. **What does that have to do with the story?

**Han. **Nothing. But I'm hungry.

**Yun-Shuno. **I've got it. Young beings don't always do what they're told. But if they can pull it off and do something wonderful, sometimes they escape punishment. How's that?

**Luke. **You're saying I should go anyway, even without permission.

**Yun-Shuno. **_[to Leia] _Leia. May I have the first package, please?

_Leia presents Yun-Shuno with a canister of Force Wind, depicting an image of Anakin Skywalker on front._

**Luke. **That's Anakin. But how . . . ?

**Yun-Shuno. **Never question a gift. This is a collector's item from _Anakin's Quest_, the first season.

**Luke. **_Anakin's Quest?_

**Yun-Shuno. **Great show. _[sighs] _Back before HoloNet Entertainment was all reality programming. Of course, the canister would be worth much more if I had the whole lunch box . . .

**Han. **Or if it hadn't been in Leia's mouth.

**Leia. **I'll get you for that.

_Leia chases Han around the amphistaff._

**Luke. **Wait a minute. This is a gift?

**Yun-Shuno. **One of two. Go on. Pick it up.

_Luke notices the canister always faces the center of the galaxy._

**Luke. **It's a hyperspace compass.

**Yun- Shuno. **_[surprised] _Very clever. I never thought of that. But its intended use is a bit more dramatic. Uncap it, and you will release a powerful blast of Force Wind.

_Luke starts to open the canister._

Not now. And please, when the time comes, only unscrew the lid a tiny bit. The winds are a bit like me, always restless. Should all four escape at once . . . Ah, but I'm sure you'll be careful. And now my second gift. Han?

**Han. **_[about Leia] _She's touching me.

**Yun-Shuno. **She's always touching you. You're intertwined. And if you don't stop that, you'll get knotted again.

_The serpents stop wrestling._

_Han presents Yun-Shuno with a jar of pills, filled with Yun-Shuno's own manufactured healing salve: kolto._

**Luke. **_[stunned] _You're kidding. Are those Gamorrean-shaped?

**Yun-Shuno. **The behot ones, yes. The grape ones are Nightsisters, I think. Or are they Zillo Beasts? At any rate, these are potent. Don't take one unless you really, really need it.

**Luke. **How will I know if I really, really need it?

**Yun-Shuno. **You'll know, believe me. Nine essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids . . . Oh, everything you need to feel yourself again.

_Yun-Shuno tosses Luke the kolto._

**Luke. **Er, thanks. But Lady Yun-Shuno, why are you helping me?

**Yun-Shuno. **_[smiles] _Perhaps because I hope that you can save many beings on this quest, Luke. Not just your friend Corran.

**Luke. **You don't mean . . . _Jacen_?

_Yun-Shuno does not respond._

Look, Lady Yun-Shuno . . . I mean, thanks and everything. But you might as well take back your gifts. Jacen can't be saved. Even if I could find him, he told me he wanted to tear down Tython duracrete by duracrete. He betrayed everybody he knew. He . . . he hates you, especially.

**Yun-Shuno. **_[gazes upward] _My dear young cousin. If there's one thing I've learned over the eons, it's that you can't give up on your family, no matter how tempting they make it. It doesn't matter if they hate you, or embarrass you, or simply don't appreciate your genius for inventing the HoloNet . . .

**Luke. **You invented the HoloNet?

**Leia. **It was my idea.

**Han. **Vhlors are delicious.

**Yun-Shuno. **It was _my_ idea. I mean the HoloNet, not the vhlors. But that's not the point. Luke, do you understand what I'm saying about family?

**Luke. **I . . . I'm not sure.

**Yun-Shuno. **You will some day. _[rising] _In the meantime, I must be going.

**Leia. **You have sixty comm calls to return.

**Han. **And one thousand, one hundred thirty-eight e-mails, not counting the offers for online discount bacta.

**Yun-Shuno. **And you, Luke, have a shorter deadline than you realize to complete your quest. Your friends should be coming right about . . . now.

**Mara's Voice. **Skywalker!

**Lowbacca's Voice. **Luke!

**Yun-Shuno. **I hope I packed well for you. I do have some experience with travel.

_Using the Force, Yun-Shuno conjures three packed bags._

Waterproof, of course. If you ask nicely, your father should be able to help you reach the ship.

**Luke. **Ship?

_Yun-Shuno nods at the Unnh River, where Luke looks over._

_Enter the _Anakin Solo_, a black Super Star Destroyer, which has appeared in the Unnh River._

Wait. I don't understand any of this. I haven't even agreed to go.

**Yun-Shuno. **I'd make up your mind in the next five minutes, if I were you. That's when the Twi'leks will come to eat you. Now, good night, cousin. And dare I say it? May the Force be with you.

_Yun-Shuno summons the amphistaff with the Force._

**Leia. **Good luck.

**Han. **Bring me back a vhlor.

_Yun-Shuno returns the amphistaff to comlink form and pockets it._

_Exit Yun-Shuno._


	18. The Twi'leks

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca, near the Unnh River._

**Mara. **What's going on? I heard you calling for help.

**Lowbacca. **As did I. I heard you yell, "Monsters are attacking."

**Luke. **I didn't call you guys. I'm fine.

**Mara. **But then who . . . ? _[notices the bags] _What . . . ?

**Luke. **Just listen. We don't have much time.

_As Luke describes his meeting with Yun-Shuno, the Twi'leks can be heard approaching in the distance._

**Mara. **Luke. We have to do the quest.

**Luke. **We'll get expelled, you know. Trust me. I'm an expert at getting expelled.

**Mara. **So? If we fail, there won't be any Praxeum to come back to.

**Luke. **Yes. But you promised Yoda . . .

**Mara. **I promised I'd keep you from danger. I can only do that by coming with you. Lowbacca can stay behind and tell them . . .

**Lowbacca. **I want to go.

**Mara. **_[shrill] _No. I mean . . . Luke, come on. You know that's impossible.

**Luke. **_[aside] _I wonder again why she has such a grudge against Wookiees. There is something she isn't telling me.

_Mara and Lowbacca look at Luke, waiting for an answer, as the _Anakin Solo _grows farther away._

The thing is, part of me doesn't want Lowie along. I spent the last three days in close quarters with the guy, getting teased by the other Jedi and embarrassed a million times a day, constantly reminded that I'm related to him. I need some space. Plus, I don't know how much help he'll be, or how I'll keep him safe. Sure, he's strong. But Lowie is a little kid in Wookiee terms, maybe seven or eight years old, mentally. I could see his freaking out and starting to cry while we were trying to sneak past a monster or something. He'll get us all killed.

_The Twi'leks begin to move closer._

_[to Mara] _We can't leave him. Qordis will punish him for our being gone.

**Mara. **Luke. We're going to Monarg's Mechanic Works. Monarg is a W-O-K . . . W-U-C . . .

_Mara stomps his foot in frustration._

You know what I mean.

**Luke. **Lowie can go, if he wants to.

_Lowbacca applauds._

**Lowbacca. **I want to.

_Luke glares at Mara, who decides not to argue._

**Mara. **All right. How do we get to that ship?

**Luke. **Yun-Shuno said my father would help.

**Mara. **Well, then, Farmboy, what are you waiting for?

_Luke faces the Unnh River._

**Luke. **_[to Vader] _Father. How's it going?

**Mara. **Skywalker. We're in a hurry.

**Luke. **_[to Vader] _We need your help. We need to get to that ship, like before we get eaten. So . . .

_Enter the varactyls, including Boga __- giant lizards with green scales, purple feathers, and orange eyes._

**Lowbacca. **Dragonmounts.

**Mara. **Varactyls. They're beautiful.

_One of the varactyls makes an appreciative short, loud hooting call._

**Luke. **We'll admire them later. Come on.

_Enter the Twi'leks: Bib Fortuna, a pale-skinned Twi'lek male with orange eyes; Darth Talon, a red-skinned Twi'lek female with yellow eyes and black tattoos; Darth Ruyn, a red-skinned Twi'lek male with yellow eyes; Orn Free Taa, an obese blue-skinned Twi'lek male with yellow eyes; and Kopecz, a towering purple-skinned Twi'lek male with orange eyes._

**Fortuna. **There. Bad _Jeedai _out of bed. Snack time for lucky Twi'leks.

**Luke. **Lowie. Grab a bag.

_Lowbacca is distracted, staring at the varactyls._

Lowie.

**Lowbacca. **Eh?

**Luke. **Come on.

_Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca each grab a bag and mount a varactyl: Boga, in Lowbacca's case, as she is large enough to hold a Wookiee._

_The varactyls begin to swim in the direction of the _Anakin Solo_._

**Talon. **_[curses] _Snacks. Come back.

**Ruyn. **Come back.

**Free Taa. **_[disappointed] _They're not coming back.

**Kopecz. **_[growls in frustration]_

**Fortuna. **Let's go.

_Exit the Twi'leks._


	19. The Anakin Solo

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca, mounted on varactyls._

_The varactyls stop at the _Anakin Solo_._

**Mara. **How do we get aboard?

_The varactyls swim over to the entrance to the airlock, which hisses open._

**Luke. **You first.

_Mara climbs into the airlock, followed by Luke._

_Lowbacca and Boga are now alone in the Unnh River, the latter laughing hysterically._

Lowie. Quiet. Come on, big guy.

**Lowbacca. **_[smile fades] _Can't we take Boga?

**Luke. **Boga?

_Boga cries in response, as if she likes her new name._

We have to go. And Boga . . . well, she can't climb into the airlock.

_Boga whimpers._

Maybe we'll see him again sometime.

**Lowbacca. **_[perks up] _Oh, please. Tomorrow?

_Lowbacca bids Boga farewell and steps into the airlock._

_Exit the varactyls._

_Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca board the _Anakin Solo_._

_Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca wander around the empty corridors of the Star Destroyer._

**Luke. **It's a ghost ship.

**Lowbacca. **No. Bad smell.

**Mara. **_[frowns] _I don't smell anything.

**Luke. **Wookiees are like Corellians. They can smell monsters. Isn't that right, Lowie?

_Lowbacca nods nervously._

**Mara. **Okay. So what exactly do you smell?

**Lowbacca. **Something bad.

**Mara. **_[sarcastic] _Great. That clears it up.

_Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca enter the empty Command Salon._

**Luke. **We need a hiding place, somewhere safe to sleep.

**Mara. **Sleep.

_Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca slip into the Commander's Deck, which contains the quarters for all ranking officers. Luke and Lowbacca slip into one an empty room; Mara slips in the other. Both rooms are filled with food._

_Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca examine Yun-Shuno's bags, discovering it to be filled with extra clothes, toiletries, rations, a bag of dataries, a pouch full of aurodium ingots, tools, and Mara's cloaking device, which relieves everyone._

I'll be next door. You guys don't eat or drink anything.

**Luke. **You think this place is cursed?

**Mara. **_[frowns] _I don't know. Something isn't right. Just . . . be careful.

_Exit Mara._

_Lowbacca sits on the bed, works on his projects, then falls asleep._

_Luke sleeps._

_Exit all._


	20. The Sith Emperor

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, in the Netherworld of the Force, near the Maw._

_Enter the Emperor Palpatine, unseen._

**Palpatine. **_[laughs] _If it isn't the young Jedi, on his way to another great victory. Don't let me stop you. Perhaps this time, when you fail, you'll wonder if it's worthwhile slaving to the Je'daii. How exactly has your father shown his appreciation lately?

_The Emperor cackles and exits._

_Exit all._


	21. Corran and Monarg

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Corran, inside Monarg's Mechanic Works._

**Monarg's Voice. **Sweetheart.

_Corran yelps and begins weaving a wedding dress._

_Enter Monarg, a giant Wookiee with an eye patch over one of his eyes._

What are you doing?

**Corran. **_[imitates a Wookiee female] _Nothing. Just weaving my bridal train, as you can see.

_Monarg blindly paws at the bridal train._

**Monarg. **It hasn't gotten any longer.

**Corran. **Oh, er, yes. It has, dear. See? I've added at least an centimeter.

**Monarg. **Too many delays. _[sniffs] _You smell good, like Bothans.

**Corran. **_[laughs weakly] _Oh. Do you like it? It's jesmin. I wore it just for you.

**Monarg. **Hmm. Good enough to eat.

**Corran. **Oh, you're such a flirt.

**Monarg. **No more delays.

**Corran. **But dear, I'm not done.

**Monarg. **Tomorrow.

**Corran. **No, no. Ten more days.

**Monarg. **Five.

**Corran. **Oh, well. Seven, then, if you insist.

**Monarg. **Seven? That is less than five, right?

_Monarg grumbles, then exits._

_Corran takes a shaky breath._

**Corran. **_[aside, in his regular voice] _Hurry, Luke. Please, please, please.

_Exit all._


	22. Caedus and Muuurgh

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke and Lowbacca, on the _Anakin Solo_._

**Twizzl's Voice. **_[through intercom] _Good morning, passengers. We'll be in space all day today. Excellent weather for the celebrations in the Command Salon. Don't forget million-credit sabacc in the Briefing Cabin at thirteen hundred hours. And for our special guests, disemboweling practice in the Biodisposal Pit.

_Luke sits up._

**Luke. **What did he say?

**Lowbacca. **The happy Coruscanti said . . . borgleball practice?

_Enter Mara._

**Mara. **Disemboweling practice?

_Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca dress and return to the Command Salon, joining the other passengers of the _Anakin Solo_._

_All passengers wander around in a trancelike state._

_Enter Twizzl, a silver-haired Coruscanti male._

**Twizzl. **Good morning. We are enjoying ourselves aboard the _Anakin Solo_. Have a nice day.

_Exit Twizzl._

**Mara. **Luke. This is weird. They're all in some kind of trance.

_Enter the vornskr, waiting in line for food._

**Lowbacca. **I'm not hungry anymore.

_Enter the Killiks, an insectoid species with chitonous armor, mandibles, and four arms ending in long three-toed claws._

**Thuruht. **Six more joined yesterday.

**Saras. **Yes. He draws them. Soon we will be strong.

_Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca slip into the females' refresher._

_Exit the Killiks._

**Mara. **_[to Luke] _We have to get out of here.

**Luke. **You think I want to be in a females' refresher?

**Mara. **I mean the ship, Skywalker. We have to get off the ship.

**Lowbacca. **It smells bad. And vornskrs eat all the eggs. Mara is right. We must leave the refresher and the ship.

_Luke shudders._

**Luke. **_[aside] _If Mara and Lowbacca are both agreeing on something, I should probably listen.

_Enter Jacen Caedus and Muuurgh, a feline Togorian with black fur, blue eyes, and a mouthful of sharp teeth._

**Caedus's Voice. **. . . only a matter of time. Don't push me, Muuurgh.

**Muuurgh's Voice. **Muuurgh is not pushing you. He is just saying, if this gamble doesn't pay off . . .

**Caedus's Voice. **It will pay off. They'll take the bait. Now, come. We've got to get to the Sovv Stateroom and check on the sarcophagus.

_Exit Caedus and Muuurgh._

**Lowbacca. **Leave now?

_Luke and Mara exchange looks._

**Luke. **We can't.

**Mara. **We have to find out what Jacen is up to. And if possible, we're going to beat him up, bind him in fibercords, and drag him to Tython.

_Exit all._


	23. Caedus's Plan

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca, on the _Anakin Solo_._

_Luke has his lightsaber hooked to his belt; Lowbacca carries all three bags over his shoulder, which now also carry the Force Wind canister and the kolto._

_Luke, Mara (cloaked), and Lowbacca climb to the Commander's Deck, where the Sovv Stateroom is located._

_Footsteps can be heard._

**Mara. **Hide.

_Luke, Mara, and Corran slip into an spare room._

_Enter Raynar Thul, a blond-haired youth with blue eyes and flamboyant clothing, and Seff Hellin, a curly-haired youth in white robes (both unseen)._

**Seff's Voice. **Did you see that krayt dragon in the Command Hangar?

**Raynar's Voice. **_[laughs] _Yes. It's astral. I hear they have got two more coming. They keep arriving at this rate . . . oh, stang. No contest.

_Exit Raynar and Seff._

**Mara. **That was Raynar Thul. You remember, from cabin eleven.

**Luke. **_[frowns] _What's another Jedi doing here?

_Mara shakes her head, clearly troubled._

_Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca move on._

_As they approach the Sovv Stateroom, the two humans and the Wookiee pass the Biodisposal Pit._

**Mara. **Luke. Look.

_Luke glances at the Biodisposal Pit and sees that it is filled with gundarks, vornskrs, Killiks, and one rogue Jedi (Natua Wan, a green-skinned girl with long black hair)._

Killiks. The Kind.

_The gundarks and the Killiks cheer as Natua slices up a Jedi puppet with her lightsaber._

_Mara pales._

Come on. The sooner we find Jacen the better.

_Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca approach the Sovv Stateroom._

**Lowbacca. **There are voices inside.

**Luke. **You can hear that far?

_Lowbacca closes his eyes and concentrates._

**Lowbacca. **_[imitates Caedus] _". . . the prophecy ourselves. The fools won't know which way to turn." _[imitates Muuurgh] _"You really think the old centauriform is gone for good?" _[imitates Caedus, laughs] _"They can't trust him, not with the skeletons in his closet. The poisoning of the tree was the final straw."

**Mara. **_[shivers] _Stop that, Lowbacca. How do you do that? It's creepy.

_Lowbacca opens his eyes and frowns._

**Lowbacca. **_[regular voice] _I was just listening.

**Luke. **Keep going. What else are they saying?

_Lowbacca closes his eyes._

**Lowbacca. **_[imitates Muuurgh] _"Quiet." _[imitates Caedus] _"Are you sure?" _[imitates Muuurgh] _"Yes. Right outside."

_Enter Caedus (now dressed in black Sith robes), flanked by Muuurgh and H'sishi, a feline Togorian with white fur, yellow eyes, and a mouthful of sharp teeth._

**Caedus. **_[smiles] _Well, if it isn't my two favorite cousins. Come in.

_Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca follow Caedus and the Togorians, the latter armed with electrostaffs, into the Sovv Stateroom._

_Enter the Emperor Palpatine, forming inside a black Sith sarcophagus._

_Caedus spreads his arms proudly around the scene._

Well, a little nicer than cabin eleven, eh?

_Luke notices Caedus's new Sith blade hooked to the former Jedi's belt._

Sit.

_Using the Force, Caedus summons a few chairs, but no one sits._

_The Togorians have their electrostaffs pointed at Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca._

Where are my manners? These are my assistants, Muuurgh and H'sishi. Perhaps you've heard of them.

_Luke glares at Caedus and does not respond._

You don't know Muuurgh and H'sishi's story? Their mother . . . well, it's sad, really. Yun-Q'aah ordered the young female to fall in love. She refused and ran to Dathomir for help. Dathomir let her become one of her maiden Witches. But Yun-Q'aah got her revenge. She bewitched the young female into falling in love with a vine tiger. When Dathomir found out, she abandoned the girl in disgust. Typical of the Je'daii, wouldn't you say? They fight with one another, and the poor mundane get caught in the middle. The girl's twin sons here, Muuurgh and H'sishi, have no love for Tython. They like Jedi well enough, though.

**Muuurgh. **For lunch.

_H'sishi laughs hysterically, causing Caedus and Muuurgh to stare at him._

Shut up, you idiot. Go punish yourself.

_H'sishi whimpers and backs into a corner._

_Caedus relaxes in his chair._

**Caedus. **Well, Luke, we let you survive another year. I hope you appreciated it. How is your mother? How's school?

**Luke. **You poisoned Jaina's tree.

**Caedus. **_[sighs] _Right to the point, eh? Okay, sure. I poisoned the tree. So what?

**Mara. **_[angry] _How could you? Jaina saved your life, our lives. How could you dishonor her . . . ?

**Caedus. **I didn't dishonor her. The Je'daii dishonored her, Mara. If Jaina were alive, she'd be on my side.

**Mara. **Liar.

**Caedus. **If you knew what was coming, you'd understand . . .

**Mara. **I understand you want to destroy the Praxeum. You're a monster.

**Caedus. **_[shakes his head] _The Je'daii have blinded you. Can't you imagine a galaxy without them, Mara? What good is that ancient history you study? Three millennia of baggage. The Core is rotten to the core. It has to be destroyed. Join me. We can start the galaxy anew. We could use your intelligence, Mara.

**Mara. **Because you have none of your own.

**Caedus. **_[narrows his eyes] _I know you, Mara. You deserve better than tagging along on some hopeless quest to save the Praxeum. The Manarai Mountains will be overrun by monsters within the month. The Jedi who survive will have no choice but to join us or be hunted to extinction. You really want to be on a losing team . . . with company like this?

_Caedus indicates Lowbacca with disgust._

**Luke. **Hey.

**Caedus. **Traveling with a Wookiee? Talk about dishonoring Jaina's memory. I'm surprised at you, Mara. You of all beings . . .

**Mara. **Stop it.

**Luke. **Leave her alone. And leave Lowie out this.

**Caedus. **_[laughs] _Oh, yes. I heard your father claimed him. _[smiles] _Yes, Luke. I know all about that, and about your plan to find the Healing Crystals of Fire. What were those coordinates, again . . . T-7 to O-6? You see, I still have friends among the Jedi who keep me posted.

**Luke. **Spies, you mean.

**Caedus. **_[shrugs] _How many insults from your father can you stand, Luke? You think he's grateful to you? You think Vader cares for you any more than he cares for this monster?

_Lowbacca growls and clenches his fists._

_Caedus laughs._

The Je'daii are using you, Luke. Do you have any idea what's in store for you if you reach your sixteenth naming day? Has Yoda even told you the prophecy?

**Luke. **_[aside] _Sixteenth naming day? I mean, I know Yoda received a prophecy from the Prophet many years ago. I know part of it is about me. But "if I reached my sixteenth naming day?" I don't like the sound of that. _[to Caedus] _I know what I need to know, like who my enemies are.

**Caedus. **Then you're a fool.

**Lowbacca. **_[angry] _Luke is not a fool.

_Lowbacca charges at Caedus, but is pushed backward by the Togorians._

**Caedus. **Too bad, Wookiee. It looks like my Togorian friends together are more than a match for your strength. Maybe I should let them . . .

**Luke. **Jacen. Listen to me. Your parent sent us.

_Caedus glares at Luke._

**Caedus. **_[angry] _Don't even mention him.

**Luke. **He told us to take this ship. I thought it was just for a ride. But he sent us here to find you. He told me he won't give up on you, no matter how angry you are.

**Caedus. **Angry? Give up on me? He abandoned me, Luke. I want Tython destroyed, every throne crushed to rubble. You tell Yun-Shuno it's going to happen, too. Each time a Jedi joins us, the Je'daii grow weaker, and we grow stronger. _[indicates Palpatine's sarcophagus] _He grows stronger.

**Luke. **So? What's so special . . . ? _[with dawning realization] _Bloah. You don't mean . . . ?

**Caedus. **He is reforming. Little by little, we're calling his life force out of the Maw. With every recruit who pledges our cause, another small piece appears . . .

**Mara. **That's disgusting.

**Caedus. **_[sneers] _Your mother was born from Sekot's split skull, Mara. I wouldn't talk. Soon there will be enough of the Sith Emperor so that we can make him whole again. We will piece together a new body for him, a work worthy of the forges of Yun-Ne'Shel.

**Mara. **You're insane.

**Caedus. **Join us, and you'll be rewarded. We have powerful friends, sponsors rich enough to buy this Super Star Destroyer and much more. _[to Luke] _Luke. Your mother will never have to work again. You can buy her a mansion. You can have power, fame, whatever you want. _[to Mara] _Mara. You can realize your dream of being an architect. You can build a monument to last a millennium, a temple to the Sith Lords.

**Mara. **Go to hell.

**Caedus. **_[sighs] _A shame.

_Caedus signals his security._

_Enter Heol Girdun and Salle Serpa, both officers serving under Caedus._

Oh, good. Security. I'm afraid we have some stowaways.

**Girdun. **Yes, sir.

**Caedus. **_[to H'sishi] _It's time to feed the krayt dragon. Take these fools below and show them how it's done.

_H'sishi laughs._

**Muuurgh. **Let Muuurgh go, too. H'sishi is worthless. That Wookiee . . .

**Caedus. **Is no threat. _[glances at Palpatine's sarcophagus] _Muuurgh, stay here. We have important matters to discuss.

**Muuurgh. **But . . .

**Caedus. **_[to H'sishi] _H'sishi. Don't fail me. Stay in the hangar to make sure the dragon is properly fed.

_H'sishi (flanked by Girdun and Serpa) leads Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca out of the Sovv Stateroom._

_Exit Caedus and Muuurgh._

_Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca are led into the Command Salon, passing lines of escape pods._

**Luke. **_[to Lowbacca] _Now.

_Lowbacca knocks H'sishi backward, throwing him into the pool._

_Girdun raises his Stokhli spray stick, while Serpa runs for the nearest alarm._

**Mara. **Stop him.

_Just as Luke hits Serpa over the head, he signals the alarm._

_Klaxons blare._

**Luke. **Escape pod.

_Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca run for the nearest escape pod._

_As they prepare the escape pod, armies of gundarks, Killiks, and GAG officers storm into the Command Salon, led in by Natua Wan. However, Natua slips in a puddle and falls over. The gundarks stand in corners, armed with bowcasters._

**Mara. **How do you launch this thing?

_A vornskr charges at Luke, but Lowbacca knocks it aside._

**Luke. **Get in.

_Luke activates his lightsaber and deflects the gundarks' blasts with its emerald blade._

_Mara and Lowbacca board the escape pod, followed by Luke._

Hold on.

_Luke launches the escape pod, and it jettisons into space._

_Exit all._


	24. Mara Contacts Yoda

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca, in an escape pod._

**Luke. **Canister.

**Mara. **What?

_As the _Anakin Solo _fires on the escape pod, Lowbacca retrieves Yun-Shuno's Force Wind canister._

_Luke accepts the canister._

**Luke. **Hang on.

**Mara. **I _am _hanging on.

**Luke. **Tighter.

_Mara and Lowbacca hang on, as Luke slightly opens the canister, sending a Force Wind which pushes the escape pod forward, away from the _Anakin Solo_._

_The escape pod stops spinning, somewhere on Kesh, landing somewhere in the middle of Maristota River._

_Once they are safe on Kesh, Mara conjures a villip in order to contact Yoda._

**Mara. **O Master Tionne. Accept my offering.

_Mara tosses an aurodium ingot into the villip._

Yoda on Chiron.

_The villip assumes the form of Jedi Master Yoda._

_Luke and Mara explain everything that occurred on the _Anakin Solo_: from their sneaking on board to a description of Caedus's plan._

**Yoda. **Luke. You have to watch out for . . .

_Yoda is cut off by a shout from his Chironian brethren._

**Luke. **What?

_Yoda ducks as a plate comes flying his way._

**Yoda. **Blast my relatives. _[to Mara] _Mara. You shouldn't have let Luke leave the Praxeum. But if you do get the Healing Crystals . . .

**Lusa's Voice. **Bloah! Yeah, baby!

_The Chironians crank up the jizz music._

**Yoda. **. . . Chiron. I'll try to keep watch . . .

_The villip reverts to its original shape._

_Exit all._


	25. The Zillo Beast

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca (in an escape pod), on Kesh._

_The escape pod approaches a Keshiri island._

**Mara. **This is Kesh. Emperor's Bones, how did the _Anakin Solo _travel so fast overnight? That's like . . .

**Luke. **Five hundred thirty light years.

**Mara. **_[stares at Luke] _How do you know that?

**Luke. **I . . . I'm not sure.

**Mara. **_[frowns] _Luke. What's our position?

**Luke. **Quadrant U-10, at the edge of Wild Space. _[frowns] _Stang. How did I know that?

**Mara. **Because of your father. When you're at sea, you have perfect bearings. This is so astral.

_Lowbacca taps Luke's shoulder._

**Lowbacca. **Another ship is coming.

_Luke turns to see the GA Star Destroyer _Mon Mothma _draws nearer._

**Luke. **We can't let them catch us. They'll ask too many questions.

**Mara. **Keep going into the Ragnos Lakes.

_Luke directs the escape pod into the Ragnos Lakes, moving in on Meori Cove._

There. Past that sandbar.

_Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca deboard the escape pod, cover it up, then begin marching onto the Meori Cove._

Come on. It's just down the bank.

**Luke. **What is?

**Mara. **Just follow.

_Luke and Lowbacca follow Mara through the Keshiri landscape._

**Lowbacca. **I don't like this.

**Mara. **Here.

_Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca stop at an old campsite once used by Jacen Caedus, Jaina Solo, and Mara Jade._

_Luke stares at the place in awe._

**Luke. **A Jedi hideout. You made this place?

**Mara. **Jaina and I . . . and Jacen.

**Luke. **So, you don't think Jacen will look for us here?

**Mara. **_[shakes her head] _We made a dozen safehouses like this. I doubt Jacen even remembers where they are . . . or cares.

_Mara sits and begins rifling through their bags._

**Luke. **_[to Lowbacca] _Lowie. Would you mind scouting around outside? Look for a Wild Space convenience store or something.

**Lowbacca. **Convenience store?

**Luke. **Yes, for snacks . . . like doughnuts or something. Just don't go too far.

**Lowbacca. **Doughnuts. I will look for doughnuts on Kesh. _[calling] _Here, doughnuts.

_Exit Lowbacca._

**Luke. **Mara. I'm sorry, you know, about seeing Jacen.

**Mara. **It's not your fault.

_Mara starts cleaning her vibroblade._

**Luke. **He let us go too easily.

**Mara. **_[nods] _I was thinking the same thing. What we overheard him say about a gamble, and "they'll take the bait" . . . I think he was talking about us.

**Luke. **The Healing Crystals are the bait? Or Corran?

**Mara. **_[studies her vibroblade] _I don't know, Luke. Maybe he wants the Healing Crystals for himself. Maybe he's hoping we'll do the hard work, and then he can steal it from us. I just can't believe he would poison the tree.

**Luke. **What did he mean that Jaina would have been on his side?

**Mara. **He's wrong.

**Luke. **You don't sound sure.

**Mara. **_[glares at Luke] _Skywalker. You know who you remind me of most? Jaina. You guys are so much alike, it's scary. I mean, either you would have been best friends, or you would have strangled each other.

**Luke. **Let's go with best friends.

**Mara. **Jaina got angry with her father at times. So do you. Would you turn against Tython because of that?

**Luke. **No.

**Mara. **Okay, then. Neither would she. Jacen's wrong.

**Luke. **So, what did Jacen mean about Wookiees? He said you of all beings . . .

**Mara. **I know what he said. He . . . he was talking about the real reason Jaina died. _[sighs] _You can never trust a Wookiee, Luke. Six years ago, on the night Corran was leading us to the Jedi Praxeum . . .

_Enter Lowbacca, with a handful of doughnuts._

**Lowbacca. **Doughnuts.

_Mara stares at Lowbacca._

**Mara. **Where did you get that? We're in the middle of no where. There's nothing around for . . .

**Lowbacca. **Fifteen meters. Lost Tribe of the Sith shop, just over the hill.

_Luke and Mara follow Lowbacca back to the Lost Tribe of the Sith._

**Mara. **This is bad. This shouldn't be here. It's wrong.

**Luke. **What? It's a doughnut shop.

**Mara. **Shh.

**Luke. **Why are we whispering? Lowbacca went in and bought a dozen. Nothing happened to him.

**Mara. **He's a monster.

**Luke. **Oh, come on, Mara. Lost Tribe of the Sith doesn't mean monsters or an actual Sith tribe. It's a chain. We have them all over Coruscant.

**Mara. **A chain. And don't you find it strange that one appeared right after you told Lowbacca to find doughnuts? Right here in the middle of Kesh?

_Luke frowns thoughtfully._

It could be a nest.

_Lowbacca whimpers nervously._

**Luke. **A nest for what?

**Mara. **Haven't you ever wondered how food chains pop up so fast? One day, there's nothing. And then the next day, boom, there's a new restaurant or a tapcafe or whatever? First a single store, then two, then four, exact replicas spreading across the galaxy?

**Luke. **Er, no. I've never thought about it.

**Mara. **Skywalker. Some of the chains multiply so fast because all their locations are Forcefully linked to the life force of a monster. Some children of Yun-Shuno figured out how to do it back in the Imperial Period. They breed . . .

_Enter the Zillo Beast, ninety-seven meter-high monster with three arms, a spiked tail, a tough hide, and a forked tongue, covered in green and brown scales._

_Mara freezes._

**Luke. **What? They breed what?

**Mara. **No sudden moves. Very slowly, turn around.

_Luke turns and sees the Zillo Beast._

_Luke removes his lightsaber._

_[aside, to Luke] _Not yet.

_Luke nods and waits._

_The Zillo Beast steps forward, sniffing around, as if it is hunting. It is ripping apart a tent, which has clearly come from the Jedi campsite._

_Luke gulps._

**Luke. **_[aside] _I've seen a stuffed Zillo Beast head trophy at the Praxeum before. But that does nothing to prepare me for the real thing.

_Trembling, Lowbacca steps back and accidentally snaps a twig._

_Drawn by the sound, the Zillo Beast turns toward the Jedi and hisses._

**Mara. **Scatter.

_Mara dives right, and Luke rolls to the left. They just barely avoid a blast of an acidic poison ejected by the Zillo Beast. It burns right through a Keshiri tree, toppling toward Lowbacca, who stares, petrified._

**Luke. **Lowie.

_Luke jumps forward and knocks Lowbacca out of the way, just as the Zillo Beast lunges. The tree topples on top of the fierce monster._

_The Zillo Beast stumbles backward, yanking itself free, then wailing in outrage at the fallen tree. The beast shoots acid at the tree and destroys it._

_[to Lowbacca] _Move.

_Luke activates his lightsaber, drawing the Zillo Beast's attention._

_The Zillo Beast hisses and bares its teeth, turning away from Lowbacca._

_Instinctively, Luke slices off one of the Zillo Beast's heads._

**Mara. **No.

_In a flash, two more heads grow in the decapitated head's place._

Skywalker. You just opened another Lost Tribe of the Sith shop somewhere.

_Luke dodges a spray of acid._

**Luke. **I'm about to die. And you're worried about that? How do we kill it?

**Mara. **Fire. We have to have fire.

**Luke. **_[aside] _Now that she says that, I remember the story. The Zillo Beast's heads will only stop multiplying if we burn the stumps before they regrow. That's what Anakin did, anyway. But we have no fire.

_Luke backs up toward the river, followed by the Zillo Beast._

_Mara fights off the Zillo Beast with her vibroblade, but it knocks her back into the mud._

**Lowbacca. **No hitting my friends.

_Lowbacca charges, putting himself between Mara and the Zillo Beast._

_Lowbacca smashes at the Zillo Beast with his immense Wookiee strength._

_Luke and Mara back up, dodging sprays of acid._

**Luke. **_[aside] _I know we're only postponing our deaths. Eventually, we'll make a mistake, and this thing will kill us.

_Enter the Imperial Star Destroyer _Chimaera_, manned by her long-dead Imperial crew and commanded by Jedi Knight Saba Sebatyne._

**Mara. **What's that noise?

**Lowbacca. **Star Destroyer.

_Luke ducks as the Zillo Beast spits acid at him._

**Luke. **What?

**Saba's Voice. **There. Prepare the proton torpedoez.

**Tschel's Voice. **They're too close, Master Sebatyne.

**Saba's Voice. **Kriff the demigodz. Full steam ahead.

**Tschel's Voice. **Aye, Master Sebatyne.

_The _Chimaera _moves forward._

**Saba's Voice. **Fire at will, Major Tschel.

**Mara. **Hit the dirt.

_Mara dives, followed by Luke._

_The _Chimaera _fires its proton torpedoes at the Zillo Beast and blasts it to pieces._

_The Zillo Beast explodes and dies._

**Mara. **Gross.

**Lowbacca. **Imperial Star Destroyer.

_Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca look up to see the Star Destroyer _Chimaera_, onetime flagship of Imperial Captain Horst Strage._

_Enter Saba and the reanimated corpse of Tschel, a young Imperial officer._

**Saba. **Foolz. But this one supposez this one must rescue you. Come aboard.

_Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca follow Saba and Tschel on board the _Chimaera_._

_Exit all._


	26. The Chimaera

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Mara, Lowbacca, Saba, and Tschel, on the _Chimaera_._

**Saba. **You are in so much trouble. Qordis expelled you for eternity. Massster Q said if any of you show your face at the Praxeum again, he'll turn you into scurrierz and run you over with hiz groundcar.

**Luke. **Did they give you this ship?

**Saba. **Of course not. This one's father did.

**Luke. **Yun-Yammka?

**Saba. **_[sneers] _Did you think your father waz the only one with sea power? The spiritz on the lozing side of every war owe a tribute to Yun-Yammka. That'z their curse for being defeated. This one prayed to this one's father for a naval transssport, and here it iz. These guyz will do anything this one tellz them. _[to Tschel] _Won't you, Major Tschel?

**Tschel. **If it means an end to this blasted war, Master, peace at last, we'll do anything . . . destroy anyone.

**Saba. **_[smiles] _Destroy anyone. This one likez that.

_Lowbacca gulps._

**Mara. **Saba. Jacen might be after the Healing Crystals, too. We saw him. He's got the coordinates. And he's heading Rimward. He has a Star Destroyer full of monsters . . .

**Saba. **Good. This one will blow him out of space.

**Mara. **You don't understand. We have to combine forces. Let us help you . . .

**Saba. **No. This is this one's quest, Jade. Finally, this one getz to be the hero. And you two will not steal this one's chance.

**Luke. **Where are your siblings? You were allowed to take two friends with you, weren't you?

**Saba. **They didn't . . . This one let them stay behind, to protect the Praxeum.

**Luke. **You mean even your own siblings won't help you?

**Saba. **Shut up, Wormie. This one doesn't need them, or you.

**Luke. **Saba. Qordis is using you. He doesn't care about the Praxeum. He'd love to see it destroyed. He's setting you up to fail.

**Saba. **No. This one doesn't care what the Prophet . . .

**Luke. **What? What did the Prophet tell you?

**Saba. **Nothing. All you need to know iz that this one is finishing this quest, and you're not helping. On the other hand, this one can't let you go . . .

**Mara. **So we're prisoners?

**Saba. **Guests, for now. _[to Tschel] _Major Tschel. Take them below. Assign them barracks on the berth deck. If they don't mind their manners, show them how we deal with enemy spiez.

_Exit all._


	27. Corran and Monarg II

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Corran, in Monarg's Mechanic Works._

_Corran desperately unravels the wedding dress._

_Enter Monarg._

**Monarg. **O!

_Corran yelps._

**Corran. **_[imitates a Wookiee female] _Dear. I didn't . . . You were so quiet.

**Monarg. **Unraveling? So, that's the problem.

**Corran. **Oh, no. I . . . I wasn't . . .

**Monarg. **Come.

_Monarg grabs Corran and drags him out of the cave, taking him into his living room. He sets Corran down long enough to move another boulder, revealing the land outside._

_Corran whimpers wistfully._

**Corran. **_[aside, in his regular voice] _Fresh air.

_Monarg reveals his home: a beautiful Dathomiri island, filled with shaaks, streams, and avians of all sorts. Sitting in a tree, in an area across a rope bridge, are the Healing Crystals of Fire, a set of golden crystals with fire burning inside._

_Corran whimpers._

**Monarg. **Yes. See over there? The Healing Crystals are the price of my collection. I stole it from the Jedi long ago. And ever since . . . free food. Corellians come all over the galaxy, like piranha-beetles to a flame. Corellians are good eating. And now . . .

_Monarg takes out a pair of shears, shaves off a shaak's wool, then hands it to Corran._

Put that on the spinning wheel. It's endowed with the Force. It cannot be unraveled.

**Corran. **_[imitates a Wookiee female] _Oh, well . . .

**Monarg. **Poor dear. Bad weaver. _[laughs] _Not to worry. That thread will solve the problem. You'll finish the wedding train by tomorrow.

**Corran. **Isn't that . . . thoughtful of you.

_Monarg laughs._

But . . . but, dear, what if someone were to rescue . . . I mean, _attack _this world? What would keep them from marching straight up to your cave?

**Monarg. **Oh, the wife is scared. So cute. Not to worry. Monarg has a state-of-the-art security system. They would have to get through my pets.

**Corran. **Pets?

_Corran glances over at the shaaks._

**Monarg. **And then, they would have to get through me. Now, come. Back to the cave.

_Corran whimpers fearfully._

_Exit all._


	28. The Sarlacc and the Acklay

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, on the _Chimaera_._

_Luke awakes to the sound of klaxons._

**Tschel's Voice. **All hands on deck. Find Jedi Sebatyne. Where is that Barabel?

_Enter Tschel._

_[to Luke] _Get up, Rebel. Your friends are already above. We are approaching the entrance.

**Luke. **The entrance to what?

**Tschel. **_[smiles] _The Unknown Regions, of course.

_Exit Tschel._

_Luke packs his knapsack and heads upstairs, passing by a ventilation grate where sounds from Saba's quarters._

_Luke kneels down by the ventilation grate and peers inside._

_Enter Saba and the holographic image of Yun-Yammka._

**Yun-Yammka. **I don't want excuses, girl.

**Saba. **Y-yesss, Father.

**Yun-Yammka. **You don't want to see me angry, do you?

**Saba. **No, Father.

**Yun-Yammka. **_[sneers] _"No, Father." You're pathetic. I should have let one of my sons take this quest.

**Saba. **_[trembles] _This one will succeed. This one will make you proud.

**Yun-Yammka. **You'd better. You asked me for this quest, girl. If you let that infidel Skywalker steal it from you . . .

**Saba. **But the Prophet said . . .

**Yun-Yammka. **_[angry] _I don't care what the Prophet said! You _will _succeed. And if you don't . . .

_Yun-Yammka raises his fist threateningly._

_Saba flinches._

Do we understand each other?

_Exit Saba and Yun-Yammka._

_Luke walks up to the bridge of the _Chimaera_._

_Enter Mara, Lowbacca, and the Imperials (including Tschel)._

**Mara. **What's wrong? Another dream?

_Luke nods._

_Enter Saba._

_Saba grabs a pair of electrobinoculars from Tschel and peers at the horizon._

**Saba. **At lazt. _[to Tschel] _Major Tschel. Full steam ahead.

_The _Chimaera _approaches the Kathol Rift, the entrance to the Unknown Regions._

_The engines groan as they approach the rift._

**Lowbacca. **_[nervous] _Too much strain on sublight engines. No ship is meant to be this deep in space.

_Enter the sarlacc, a one hundred-meter long monster with tentacles and a beak, which floats in the middle of space, creating a black hole to suck beings in._

**Mara. **Black hole?

**Saba. **No. Sarlacc.

**Mara. **Are you insane?

**Saba. **It's the only way into the Unknown Regionz, straight between the sarlacc and the acklay.

_Saba indicates a nearby asteroid, which is home to the acklay._

**Luke. **What do you mean "the only way?" The rift is wide open. Just fly around them.

**Saba. **_[rolls her eyes] _Don't you know anything? If this one tried to fly around them, they would just appear in this one's path again. If you want to enter the Unknown Regions, you have to sail through them.

**Mara. **What about Lando's Folly? That's another gateway. Jacen used it.

**Saba. **This one cannot blow apart asteroids with this one's lazer cannons. Monsters, on the other hand . . .

**Mara. **You are mad.

**Saba. **Watch and learn, Jade. Set your course for the sarlacc.

**Tschel. **Aye, Master Sebatyne.

_The _Chimaera _approaches the sarlacc._

**Luke. **Saba. The sarlacc sucks up the vacuum of space. Isn't that the story?

**Saba. **And spitz it back out, yesss.

**Luke. **What about the acklay?

**Saba. **It livez in a cave, on that asteroid. If we get too cloze, itz clawz will come down and start plucking crewmembers off the ship.

**Luke. **Choose the acklay, then. Everybody get below deck. And we move on past.

**Saba. **No. If the acklay doezn't get what it wantz, it might pick up the entire Star Destroyer. Besidez, it iz too high to make a good target. This one's torpedoez can't shoot straight up. The sarlacc just sitz there at the center of its black hole. We are going to steam straight toward her, train our proton torpedoez on her, and blow her to the Maw.

_As the _Chimaera _approaches the sarlacc, the sublight engines start heating up._

**Luke. **_[aside] _I try to time the black hole. As near as I can figure, it takes the sarlacc about three minutes to suck up and destroy everything within a half-parsec radius. To avoid it, we will have to skirt right next to the acklay's asteroid. And as bad as the acklay might be, that asteroid is looking awfully good to me.

**Mara. **You still have your canister of Force Wind?

**Luke. **_[to Mara] _Yes. But it's too dangerous to use with a black hole like that. Force Wind might just make things worse.

**Mara. **What about controlling the rift? You're the son of Vader.

_Luke reaches into the Force, but even his powers cannot control the Kathol Rift._

**Luke. **I . . . I can't.

**Mara. **We need a backup plan. This isn't going to work.

**Lowbacca. **Mara is right. The sublight drive is no good.

**Mara. **What do you mean?

**Lowbacca. **Pressure. The sublight drives need fixing.

_Before Lowbacca can explain, the _Chimaera _falls into the black hole's gravity well._

**Saba. **Full reverse. Get uz within firing range. Make ready starboard proton torpedoez.

_The deceased Imperials try in vain to pull away from the gravity well._

_Enter the reanimated corpse of Dorja, a middle-aged Imperial officer._

**Dorja. **The main reactor's overheating, Master. She's going to blow.

**Saba. **Well, get down there and fix it.

**Dorja. **I can't. We're vaporizing in the heat.

**Saba. **_[frustrated] _All this one needz is a few more minutez, just enough to get in range.

**Tschel. **We're going in too fast. Prepare yourself for death.

**Lowbacca. **No. I can fix it.

**Saba. **_[incredulous] _You?

**Mara. **He's a Wookiee. He's immune to fire. And he knows mechanics.

**Saba. **_[to Lowbacca] _Go.

_Luke grabs Lowbacca's arm._

**Luke. **Lowie, no. It's too dangerous.

**Lowbacca. **It's our only hope, brother. I will fix it. I will be right back.

_Exit Lowbacca._

_As the _Chimaera _approaches the entrance to the black hole, Luke catches a glimpse of the sarlacc: an enormous beak surrounded by tentacles._

**Tschel. **Master Sebatyne. Starboard and forward proton torpedoes are in range.

**Saba. **Fire.

_The _Chimaera _fires its proton torpedoes into the black hole. One blasts one of the sarlacc's tentacles, another lands inside its maw, and a final rebounds back on the _Chimaera_._

Again.

_As the Imperials fire again, the _Chimaera _stops vibrating and begins to veer away from the sarlacc._

**Mara. **Lowbacca did it.

**Saba. **_[to Tschel] _Wait. We need to stay cloze.

**Luke. **We'll die. We have to move away.

_Suddenly, the black hole stops sucking, its gravity well depleting by the sheer willpower of the sarlacc. Then, just as quickly, the sarlacc ejects everything it swallowed, causing the gravity well to work backwards, pushing everything away from the black hole, including one of the _Chimaera_'s own proton torpedoes._

_The_ Chimaera _is thrown backward, though Luke's use of the Force saves the Star Destroyer from destruction._

_Enter the reanimated corpse of Brandei, a middle-aged Imperial officer._

**Brandei. **The reactor is about to blow.

**Luke. **Where's Lowbacca?

**Brandei. **Still down there. He's holding it together somehow, though I don't know how much longer.

_The _Chimaera _moves closer to the acklay's asteroid._

**Tschel. **We have to abandon ship.

**Saba. **No.

**Tschel. **We have no choice, Master Sebatyne. The hull is already cracking apart. She can't . . .

_Enter the acklay, an insectoid monster with tough green skin, six legs, three eyes, and sharp claws._

_The acklay reaches down and snatches up Tschel with its sharp claws._

**Dorja. **Acklay.

_Dorja immediately becomes the acklay's next victim._

_Luke activates his lightsaber and tries to fight off the acklay._

**Luke. **Everybody get below.

_Saba activates her__ own lightsaber._

**Saba. **We can't. Below deck iz in flamez.

**Mara. **Escape pods. Quick.

**Saba. **They'll never get clear of the asteroid. We'll be eaten.

**Mara. **We have to try. _[to Luke] _Luke. The canister.

**Luke. **I can't leave Lowie.

**Mara. **We have to get the escape pods ready.

_Saba relays Mara's command to the deceased Imperials and prepares the escape pods, as the acklay attacks the Imperials._

_Saba and the Imperials board an escape pod._

_Luke throws Mara the canister._

**Luke. **_[to Mara] _Get in the other pod. I'll get Lowie.

**Mara. **You can't. The heat will kill you.

_As Luke runs for the reactor, the acklay reaches down and snatches him up in its claws._

_Luke swings his lightsaber and slashes the acklay's dark eye._

_The acklay grunts in pain and drops Luke._

_As Luke falls, the _Chimaera _explodes._

**Luke. **Lowie.

_The escape pods have managed to escape from the Star Destroyer just in time._

_As Luke falls into Mara's escape pod, a power blast of Force Wind is released, blowing the escape pods away from the acklay and into the Unknown Region._

_Luke collapses._

_Exit all._


	29. Yoda's Prophecy

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke and Mara, in the Unknown Regions._

_Luke tries to sit up._

**Mara. **Rest. You're going to need it.

**Luke. **Lowie . . .

**Mara. **_[shakes her head] _Luke. I'm really sorry. _[halfhearted] _He may have survived. I mean, fire can't kill him.

_Luke nods._

_Mara shows Luke the items she salvaged from the _Chimaera_: Yun-Shuno's now empty canister, a bag of bota, a couple Imperial uniforms, and a bottle of fizzade. Luke, in turn, has only Yun-Shuno's jar of kolto and his lightsaber._

**Luke. **_[aside] _We sail for hours. Now that we are in the Unknown Regions, space glittered a more brilliantly, like Zillo Beast acid. The atmosphere smells fresh and salty. But it carries a strange metallic scent, too, as if a thunderstorm is coming, or something even more dangerous. I know what direction we need to go. I know we are exactly one hundred thirteen parsecs from our destination. But that doesn't make me feel any less lost. No matter which way we turn, the stars seem to shine straight into my eyes. We take turns sipping from the fizzade, shading ourselves with the sail as best we can.

_Luke and Mara discuss Luke's dream._

**Mara. **_[frowns] _That's not good. That means we have less than one planetary rotation to find Corran, assuming your dream is accurate, and assuming Monarg hasn't changed his mind and decide to marry Corran earlier.

**Luke. **_[bitter] _Yes. You can never trust a Wookiee.

_Mara stares across space._

**Mara. **I'm sorry, Luke. I was wrong about Lowbacca, okay? I wish I could tell him that.

**Luke. **_[aside] _I try to stay angry with her. But it's not easy. We've been through a lot together. She has saved my life plenty of times. It's stupid of me to resent her.

_Luke glances at Yun-Shuno's supplies thoughtfully._

_[to Mara] _Mara. What's Yoda's prophecy?

**Mara. **_[purses her lips] _Luke. I shouldn't . . .

**Luke. **I know Yoda promised the Je'daii he wouldn't tell me. But you didn't promise, did you?

**Mara. **Knowledge isn't always good for you.

**Luke. **Your mother is the wisdom deity.

**Mara. **I know. But every time Jedi learn the future, they try to change it. And it never works.

**Luke. **The Je'daii are worried about something I'll do when I get older, something when I turn sixteen.

_Mara twists her cloaking device in her hands._

**Mara. **I don't know the full prophecy. But it warns about a Jedi child of the Big Three — the next one who lives to the age of sixteen. That's the real reason Sekot, Vader, and Bogan swore a pact after the Great Galactic War not to have any more kids. The next child of the Big Three who reaches sixteen will be a dangerous weapon.

**Luke. **Why?

**Mara. **Because that Jedi will decide the fate of Tython. He or she will make a decision that either saves the Great Peace or destroys it.

**Luke. **That's why Palpatine didn't kill me last summer.

**Mara. **_[nods] _You could be very useful to him. If he can get you on his side, the Je'daii will be in serious trouble.

**Luke. **But if it's I in the prophecy . . .

**Mara. **We'll only know that if you survive three more years. That can be a long time for a Jedi. When Yoda first learned about Jaina, he assumed she was the one in the prophecy. That's why he was so desperate to get her safely to the Praxeum. Then she went down fighting and got turned into a tree. None of us knew what to think . . . until you came along.

**Luke. **This Jedi in the prophecy . . . he or she couldn't be, say, a Wookiee. The Big Three have a lot of monster children.

**Mara. **_[shakes her head] _The Prophet said "near-human." That always means half-human, half-god. There's really nobody alive who it could be, except you.

**Luke. **Then why do the Je'daii even let me live? It would be safer to kill me.

**Mara. **You're right.

**Luke. **_[sarcastic] _Thanks.

**Mara. **Luke. I don't know. I guess some of Je'daii would like to kill you. But they're probably afraid of offending Vader. Other Je'daii . . . maybe they're still watching you, trying to decide what kind of Jedi you're going to be. You could be a weapon for their survival, after all. The real question is, what will you do in three years? What decision will you make?

_The escape pod lands on Dathomir, rolling toward a deserted island._

_Exit all._


	30. Talzin

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke and Mara, on Dathomir._

_Luke and Mara deboard the escape pod and step onto the island._

_Enter Teneniel Djo, a young warrior woman with red-gold hair and brown eyes with orange flecks._

**Teneniel. **Welcome. Is this your first time with us?

_Luke and Mara exchange looks._

**Mara. **Er . . .

_Teneniel makes a note on her datapad._

**Teneniel. **First . . . time . . . at . . . spa. Let's see . . . _[studies Luke and Mara] _Hmm. An herbal wrap to start for the young female. And of course, a complete makeover for the young male.

**Luke. **A what?

**Teneniel. **_[smiles] _Right. Well, I'm sure the Great Mother will want to speak with you personally before the ceremony. Come, please.

**Mara. **I guess it couldn't hurt.

_Luke and Mara follow Teneniel into the Frangawl Cult._

_As they move, Luke, Mara, and Teneniel pass by the resort guests and employees, among them Tenel Ka Djo._

_Teneniel leads Luke and Mara into Talzin's quarters._

_Enter Talzin, a towering woman with pale skin, silver eyes, and long red robes._

_Mara examines some art hanging in Talzin's quarters._

It's beautiful.

**Talzin. **You appreciate weaving, my dear?

**Mara. **Oh, yes, madam. My mother is . . .

**Talzin. **_[smiles] _You have good taste, my dear. I'm so glad you've come. My name is the Great Mother.

_Enter Tyber Zann and his gang, in the forms of tusk-pigs, locked in a cage._

**Mara. **Mara Jade.

**Luke. **Luke Skywalker.

_Talzin looks at Luke disapprovingly._

**Talzin. **_[sighs] _Oh, dear. You _do _need my help.

**Luke. **Madam?

**Talzin. **_[to Teneniel] _Teneniel. Take Mara on a tour, will you? Show her what we have available. The clothing will need to change. And the hair, my stars. We will do a full image consultation after I've spoken with this young gentlebeing.

**Mara. **_[hurt] _But . . . what's wrong with my hair?

**Talzin. **_[smiles] _My dear. You are lovely, really. But you're not showing off yourself or your talents at all. So much wasted potential.

**Mara. **Wasted?

**Talzin. **Well, surely you're not happy the way you are. My stars, there's not a single being who is. But don't worry. We can improve anyone here at the spa. Teneniel will show you what I mean. You, my dear, need to unlock your true self.

**Mara. **But . . . what about Luke?

**Talzin. **Oh, definitely. _[glances at Luke sadly] _Luke requires my personal attention. He needs much more work than you.

**Luke. **_[aside] _Normally if somebody told me that, I would get angry. But when the Great Mother says it, I feel sad. I disappointed her. I have to figure out how to do better.

_The members of the Zann Consortium (transformed into tusk-pigs) squeal._

**Mara. **Well, I suppose . . .

**Teneniel. **Right this way, dear.

_Exit Mara and Teneniel._

_Talzin takes Luke's arm and guides him toward her mirrored wall._

**Talzin. **You see, Luke . . . to unlock your potential, you'll need serious help. The first step is admitting that you're not happy the way you are.

_Luke fidgets in front of the mirror, looking uncomfortable with his physical appearance._

**Luke. **_[aside] _"Who cares?" part of me thinks. But standing in front of the Great Mother's mirror, it is hard to see anything good in myself.

**Talzin. **There, there. How about we try . . . this.

_Talzin snaps her fingers, and the mirror shimmers._

What do you see?

**Luke. **I don't . . .

_Luke's reflection reappears in the mirror, new and improved, too perfect to be human._

Bloah.

**Talzin. **Do you want that? Or shall I try a different . . .

**Luke. **No. That's . . . that's amazing. Can you really . . . ?

**Talzin. **I can give you a full makeover.

**Luke. **What's the catch? I have to like . . . eat a special diet?

**Talzin. **Oh, it's quite easy. Plenty of fresh fruit, a mild exercise program, and of course . . . this.

_Using the Force, Talzin summons a Nightsister potion._

One of these, substituted for a regular meal. I guarantee you'll see results immediately.

**Luke. **How is that possible?

**Talzin. **_[laughs] _Why question it? I mean, don't you want the perfect you right away?

**Luke. **Why are there no males at this spa?

**Talzin. **Oh, but there are. You'll meet them quite soon. Just try the mixture. You'll see.

_Luke glances at his too-perfect reflection._

Now, Luke. The hardest part of the makeover process is giving up control. You have to decide: do you want to trust your judgment about what you should be, or my judgment?

**Luke. **Your judgment.

_Talzin smiles and hands Luke the potion._

_Luke drinks, and the metamorphosis begins, causing Luke to double over._

What have you . . . ? What's happening?

**Talzin. **Don't worry, Luke. The pain will pass. Look. As I promised, immediate results.

_Luke transforms into a tusk-pig, just like Tyber Zann's gang._

_Talzin picks up the tusk-pig that is Luke._

Perfect. See, Luke? You've unlocked your true self: a tusk-pig. Lovely, aren't you? Males are swine, Luke Skywalker. I used to turn them into real swine. But they were so smelly and large and difficult to keep. Not much different than they were before, really. Tusk-pigs are much more convenient. Now, come. And meet the other males.

_Luke tries to protest._

None of that, little one, or I'll feed you to the ravens. Go into the cage like a good little pet. Tomorrow, if you behave, you'll be on your way. There is always a classroom in need of a good tusk-pig.

_Luke squirms, as Talzin locks him in the cage with Tyber Zann's gang._

_[indicates Zann's gang] _Meet my discipline problems, Luke. They'll never make good classroom pets. But they might teach you some manners. Most of them have been in this cage for three centuries. If you don't want to stay with them permanently, I'd suggest you . . .

**Mara's Voice. **Great Mother?

_Talzin curses in Dathomiri and quickly locks the cage._

_Enter Mara._

Where's Luke?

_Luke squeals, but Mara does not hear him._

**Talzin. **_[smiles] _He's having one of our treatments, my dear. Not to worry. You look wonderful. What did you think of the tour?

**Mara. **Your library is astral.

**Talzin. **Yes, indeed. The best knowledge of the past three millennia. Anything you want to study, anything you want to be, my dear.

**Mara. **An architect?

**Talzin. **_[scoffs] _Bah. You, my dear, have the makings of a sorceress, like me.

**Mara. **A sorceress?

**Talzin. **Yes, my dear. My mother is Morag, the goddess of magic. I know a daughter of Ashla when I see one. We are not so different, you and I. We both seek knowledge. We both admire greatness. Neither of us needs to stand in the shadow of males.

**Mara. **I . . . I don't understand.

_Luke again tries to get Mara's attention, to no avail. Meanwhile, Zann and his gang approach Luke, checking him out._

**Talzin. **Stay with me. Study with me. You can join our staff, become a sorceress, learn to bend others to your will. You will become immortal.

**Mara. **But . . .

**Talzin. **You are too intelligent, my dear. You know better than to trust that silly Jedi Praxeum. How many great female Jedi Knights can you name?

**Mara. **Jan Ors, Syal Antilles . . .

**Talzin. **Bah. Males get all the glory. The only way to power for females is sorcery. Alema Rar, Vestara Khai . . . Now, there were powerful females. And me, of course, the greatest of all.

**Mara. **You . . . The Great Mother . . . _Talzin_.

**Talzin. **Yes, my dear.

_As Mara backs away, Talzin laughs._

**Talzin. **You need not worry. I mean you no harm.

**Mara. **What have you done to Luke?

**Talzin. **Only helped him realize his true form.

_Mara finally notices the tusk-pigs, and her eyes widen._

Forget him. Join me and learn the ways of Dathomiri magic.

**Mara. **But . . .

**Talzin. **Your friend will be well cared for. He'll be shipped to a wonderful new home in the known galaxy. The younglings will adore him. Meanwhile, you will be wise and powerful. You will have all you ever wanted.

_Mara feigns a dreamy expression._

**Mara. **Let me think about it. Just . . . give me a minute alone, to say goodbye.

**Talzin. **Of course, my dear. One minute. Oh, and so you have absolute privacy . . .

_Using the Force, Talzin seals the windows shut._

_Exit Talzin._

_Mara's dreamy look vanishes, and she rushes to the cage._

**Mara. **All right. Which one is you?

_Luke and Zann's gang all squeal._

_Mara scans the room and finds Luke's robes. Reaching in his pockets, she retrieves the jar of kolto._

_Mara eats a portion of the kolto._

_Enter Talzin._

**Talzin. **_[sighs] _Well, how fast a minute passes. What is your answer, my dear?

**Mara. **This.

_Mara draws her vibroblade and holds it to Talzin's throat._

_Talzin steps back._

**Talzin. **_[sneers] _Really, girl? A vibroblade against my magic? Is that wise?

_Enter Teneniel and Kycina (another attendant of Talzin), who smile._

_All three witches raise their hands in preparation to cast a spell._

**Luke. **_[aside] _Run. Mara must run. I cannot stand to lose her the way I lost Lowie.

**Talzin. **What will Mara's makeover be? Something small and ill-tempered. I know . . . a mott.

_Talzin performs her spell, but Yun-Shuno's kolto has made Mara resistant to the Force._

_Mara holds her vibroblade to Talzin's throat._

**Mara. **_[angry] _How about turning me into a vine tiger instead, one that has her claws at your throat?

**Talzin. **_[stunned] _How?

_Mara shows Talzin the kolto._

_Talzin curses in Dathomiri._

**Talzin. **Blast Yun-Shuno and her kolto.

**Mara. **Return Luke to a sapient being or else.

**Talzin. **I can't.

**Mara. **Then you asked for it.

_Teneniel and Kycina step forward._

**Talzin. **Get back. She's immune to magic until that blasted kolto wears off.

_Mara unlocks the cage and pours the rest of the kolto inside._

No.

_Luke eats the kolto and returns to human form, fully dressed._

_Zann follows Luke, assuming his own true form: a harsh-looking pirate with long silver hair and cold green eyes. His followers, also, assume their true forms._

**Talzin. **No. You don't understand. Those are the worst.

_Zann rises._

**Zann. **O! What has the witch done to me?

**Talzin. **No.

**Mara. **_[gasps] _I recognize you. Tyber Zann, son of Yun-Yammka?

**Zann. **Aye, lass. _[to his gang] _And there's the witch who captured us, lads. Run her through. And then, I mean to get me a big bowl of celonslay. O!

_Talzin screams._

_Talzin, Teneniel, and Kycina flee, chased by Zann and his pirates._

_Exit Talzin, Teneniel, Kycina, and the Zann Consortium._

_Mara sheathes her vibroblade._

**Luke. **Thanks. I'm really sorry . . .

_Mara embraces Luke._

**Mara. **I'm glad you're not a tusk-pig.

**Luke. **So am I.

**Mara. **Come on, Farmboy. We have to get away while Talzin is distracted.

_Luke and Mara return to the docking bay, where Zann pirates are ravaging Talzin's island._

Which ship?

_Luke glances at the _Merciless_, an ancient _Aggressor_-class Star Destroyer and the personal flagship of Tyber Zann._

**Luke. **There.

**Mara. **But . . .

**Luke. **I can make it work.

**Mara. **How?

_Luke and Mara board the _Merciless_._

**Zann's Voice. **O! Those rodders are boarding my vessel. Get them, lads.

**Mara. **We'll never get this thing going in time.

_Reaching into the Force, Luke taps the _Merciless_. _

**Luke. **Peacebringer.

_Immediately, the Star Destroyer's systems come to life, and it begins to lift from docking bay._

**Mara. **Luke. How . . . ?

_The _Merciless _lifts off from Dathomir, entering space and returning to the Unknown Regions._

_Exit all._


	31. Mara's Tale

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke and Mara, on the _Merciless_._

_As Luke pilots the ship, Mara tries to keep lookout. However, after a while, she grows spacesick and retreats to the barracks._

_Exit Mara._

_As Luke pilots, he catches glimpses of Kaminoans and Mon Calamari and waves._

**Luke. **_[aside] _They pass by so quickly, I am unsure if they saw me or not.

_After a while, the _Merciless _passes by the worldship_ Baanu Kor_._

_Enter Mara._

**Mara. **That's one of the forges of Yun-Ne'Shel, where she makes her war droids.

**Luke. **Like the Basilisk droids?

**Mara. **_[nods] _Go around, far around.

_Luke swerves away from the _Baanu Kor_._

**Luke. **The reason you hate Wookiees so much, the story about how Jaina really died . . . What happened?

**Mara. **I guess you deserve to know. The night Corran was escorting us to the Praxeum, he got confused, took some wrong turns. You remember he told you that once?

_Luke nods._

Well, the worst wrong turn was into the Wookiee Rashtah's lair in the underlevels of Coruscant.

**Luke. **They've got Wookiees on Coruscant?

**Mara. **You wouldn't believe how many. But that's not the point. This Wookiee, Rashtah . . . he tricked us. He managed to split us up inside this maze of corridors in an old house in the Uscru District. And he could sound like anyone, Luke, just the way Lowie did aboard the _Anakin Solo_. He lured us, one at a time. Jaina thought she was running to save Jacen. Jacen thought he heard my scream for help. And I . . . I was alone in the dark. I was seven years old. I couldn't even find the exit. I remember finding the main room. There were bones all over the floor. And there were Jaina, Jacen, and Corran, tied up and gagged, hanging from the ceiling like smoked nerfs. Rashtah was starting a fire in the middle of the floor. I drew my vibroblade. But he heard me. He turned and smiled. He spoke. And somehow he knew my father's voice. I guess he just plucked it out of my mind. He said, "Now, Mara. Don't you worry. I love you. You can stay here with me. You can stay forever."

**Luke. **_[shivers] _What did you do?

**Mara. **I stabbed him in the foot.

**Luke. **Are you kidding? You were seven years old. And you stabbed a grown Wookiee in the foot?

**Mara. **Oh, he would have killed me. But I surprised him. It gave me just enough time to run to Jaina and cut the fibercords on her hands. She took it from there.

**Luke. **Yes. But still . . . that was pretty brave, Mara.

**Mara. **We barely got out alive. I still have nightmares, Luke. The way that Wookiee talked in my father's voice. It was his fault we took so long getting to the Praxeum. All the monsters who had been chasing us had time to catch up. That's really why Jaina died. If it hadn't been for Rashtah, she'd still be alive today.

_Luke and Mara sit in silence, watching the constellation of the Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker._

Go below. You need some rest.

_Luke nods._

_Exit all._


	32. Luke's Dream

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, in the Sovv Stateroom._

_Luke approaches Palpatine's Sith sarcophagus._

_Enter the Force spirits._

**Spirits. **Beware. Traps. Trickery.

_Enter the Emperor Palpatine, unseen._

**Palpatine's Voice. **_[laughs] _You don't have the courage, young Jedi. You can't stop me.

_Luke ignites his lightsaber, its emerald blade lighting up the stateroom._

**Spirits. **Beware.

_Enter Jaina Solo._

**Jaina. **Well, Farmboy? Well? Are we going to stop him or not?

_Luke is frozen to his spot._

_Jaina rolls her eyes._

Fine. Leave it to me and my shield.

_Jaina activates her personal energy shield: a replica of the shield used by the goddess Ashla with a Dathomirian head on the front. Jaina activates her own lightsaber, which glows with an amethyst blade._

_Jaina charges at the Sith sarcophagus, the spirits fleeing from her shield._

**Luke. **No . . .

_Jaina opens the Sith sarcophagus, staring at Palpatine's new body._

**Jaina. **_[trembling] _No. It can't be.

_Palpatine cackles with mirth._

No.

_Jaina is engulfed in a blast of Force light._

_Exit all._


	33. The Moons of Iego

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, on the _Merciless_._

_Luke awakes with a start._

_Enter Mara._

**Mara. **Luke. You were having a nightmare. You need to get up.

**Luke. **What . . . what is it? What's wrong?

**Mara. **We're approaching the moons of Iego.

_Luke follows Mara onto the bridge of the _Merciless_, where Luke spots the planet Iego and its thousand moons outside the viewport._

I want you to do me a favor. The Diathim . . . We'll be in range of their singing soon.

**Luke. **No problem. We can just stop up our ears. There's a big tub of candle wax below deck . . .

**Mara. **I want to hear them.

**Luke. **Why?

**Mara. **They say the Diathim sing the truth about what you desire. They tell you things about yourself you didn't even realize. That's what's so enchanting. If you survive, you become wiser. I want to hear them. How often will I get that chance?

_Reluctantly consenting to her plan, Luke ties Mara up on the bridge of the Star Destroyer._

Don't untie me, no matter what happens or how much I plead. I'll want to go straight over the edge and drown myself.

**Luke. **Are you trying to tempt me?

_Mara laughs sarcastically._

_Luke stuffs wax in his ears._

**Mara. **_[sarcastic] _Yes. That's a real fashion statement.

_Luke glares at her, then returns to the helm._

_The _Merciless _flies past the moons of Iego._

_The Diathim (unseen) begin to sing, drawing Mara's attention._

_Mara's eyes widen._

Luke. Release me. This is life or death. I have to get out.

_Luke forces himself to focus on the helm._

_As he flies past, Luke glances at the moons, where wreckages of several starfighters, freighters, and capital ships can be seen._

**Luke. **_[aside] _How can music cause so many lives to veer off course? I mean, sure. There are some Tatooine blues songs that make me want to take a fiery nosedive. But still, what can the Diathim possibly sing about? For one dangerous moment, I understand Mara's curiosity. I am tempted to take out the earplugs, just to get a taste of the song. I can feel the Angels' voices vibrating in the timbers of the ship, pulsing along with the roar of blood in my ears.

_Mara sobs._

**Mara. **How can you be so cruel? I thought you were my friend.

_As Luke looks away from her, Mara unsheathes her vibroblade and cuts herself free. Once free, Mara flees from the _Merciless _and dives out into space, floating toward the moons of Iego._

_Luke looks back, stunned. He rushes over to the newly cut ropes to find Mara's vibroblade alone on the bridge of the Star Destroyer._

**Luke. **Mara.

_Ignoring Luke, Mara continues on her path to the moons._

_[to the ship] _Stay.

_Luke ejects from the _Merciless _and heads after Mara._

_Luke spots Mara, but Iego's gravity pulls her toward one of the moons._

_Luke plunges after her, diving__ under the wrecked hull of a space yacht, weaving through a collection of orbital mines. Using the Force, he manages to avoid crashing into the moons or smashing into the mines._

_Luke jets between the two moons and enters wider stretch of space, floating just above the atmosphere of one of the moons. He floats there, searching for signs of Mara._

_When he finds her, Mara is floating toward the surface of Millius Prime, the home of the Diathim._

_Enter the Diathim, towering women with six wings and a glowing white aura. Because of their glowing white skin, their true faces are difficult to make out through human vision, but Luke sees the faces of many beings: Shmi Skywalker, Lord Vader, Corran Horn, Lowbacca, and Yoda._

_Luke swerves toward Mara and grabs her._

_As soon as Luke touches Mara, her vision appears to him: a scene in the middle of a park on Coruscant. Sitting on a picnic blanket are Talon Karrde and the Force entity Ashla, accompanied by Jacen (as his younger, uncorrupted self). In the vision, Mara approaches._

**Jacen. **Mara. Come on. Join us.

_Behind them, the vision shows a beautiful city recognizable as a new reconstructed Galactic City._

**Luke. **_[aside] _By the Force. I understand. This is Mara's creation. She has become an architect for a brand-new galaxy. She has reunited her parents. And . . . she has saved _Jacen_. This is her dream.

_Luke blinks and the vision vanishes._

_Exit Jacen, Karrde, and Ashla._

_Luke quickly pulls Mara away from the Diathim._

_As Luke restrains her, Mara struggles, kicking him in the face._

_As Luke breaks free of the atmosphere of the moons, the Diathim's music begins to retreat, the sound waves being unable to travel in the vacuum of space. Reaching into the Force, Luke creates a Force Orb, which allows them to breathe even in a vacuum._

_At last, the spell of the Diathim is broken._

_As Mara sobs, Luke embraces her._

_[to Mara] _I'll get us back to the ship. It's okay. Just hang on.

**Mara. **Thank you.

_Using the Force, Luke floats back over to the _Merciless_, then he and Mara reboard the ship._

_Once Luke and Mara have returned to the artificial atmosphere of the Star Destroyer, the Force Orb vanishes. Luckily, by this point, the Star Destroyer is now out of range of the vicious Diathim._

**Luke. **Are you okay?

**Mara. **I didn't realize.

**Luke. **What?

**Mara. **I didn't realize how powerful the temptation would be.

**Luke. **I saw the way you rebuilt Galactic City . . . and Jacen and your parents.

**Mara. **_[blushes] _You saw that?

**Luke. **What Caedus told you back on the _Anakin Solo_, about starting the galaxy from scratch . . . That really got to you, eh?

**Mara. **My fatal flaw. That's what the Diathim showed me. My fatal flaw is hubris.

**Luke. **That sour juice from Tatooine?

**Mara. **_[rolls her eyes] _No, Farmboy. That's hubba gourd. Hubris is worse.

**Luke. **What could be worse than hubba gourd?

**Mara. **Hubris means deadly pride, Luke, thinking you can do things better than anyone else . . . even the Je'daii.

**Luke. **You feel that way?

**Mara. **Don't you ever feel the galaxy is so messed up, the only way to fix it is to recreate it anew? No more war, nobody homeless, no more summer reading homework.

**Luke. **I'm listening.

**Mara. **I mean, the Core represents a lot of the best things sapient beings have ever done. That's why the fire is still burning. That's why Tython is still around. But sometimes you just see the bad stuff, you know? And you start thinking the way Jacen does: "If I could tear this all down, I would do it better." Don't you ever feel that way, like you could do a better job if you ran the galaxy?

**Luke. **Er, no. My running the galaxy would be a disaster.

**Mara. **Then, thank the Force. Hubris isn't your fatal flaw.

**Luke. **What is?

**Mara. **I don't know, Skywalker. But every Jedi has one. If you don't find it and learn to control it . . . well, they don't call it "fatal" for nothing.

_Luke frowns thoughtfully._

**Luke. **So, was it worth it? Do you feel wiser?

**Mara. **_[frowns] _I'm not sure. But we have to save the Praxeum. If we don't stop Jacen . . .

_The _Merciless _lands on Monarg's world, a planetoid near Dathomir._

Skywalker.

**Luke. **I see it. We've arrived. We're at Monarg's Mechanic Works.

_Exit all._


	34. Monarg's New Bride

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke and Mara, on Monarg's planetoid._

_Luke frowns at the paradise outside Monarg's Mechanic Works, contrary from what one would expect from a savage Wookiee._

**Mara. **The Healing Crystals.

_Luke nods, feeling the Healing Crystals of Fire's power in the Force._

**Luke. **If we take it away, will the planet die?

**Mara. **_[shakes her head] _It will fade, go back to what it would be normally, whatever that is.

_Luke and Mara walk through Monarg's paradise, where the Healing Crystals of Fire can be seen in a tree._

**Luke. **This is too easy. We could just hike up there and take it?

**Mara. **_[eyes narrow] _There's supposed to be a guardian: a gorgodon or . . .

_Enter the eopie, which is devoured by one of Monarg's carnivorous shaaks._

_Luke and Mara exchange looks._

They're like piranha-beetles.

**Luke. **Piranha-beetles with fur. How will we . . . ?

_Mara catches sight of an escape pod lying near Monarg's Mechanic Works, an escape pod ejected from the Star Destroyer_ Chimaera_._

**Mara. **Luke. Look. Someone else survived the explosion.

**Luke. **_[aside] _I'm almost afraid to say. But could this mean that Lowie is still alive?

_Luke and Mara approach Monarg's Mechanic Works._

**Mara. **Look, I should go, With my cloaking device, I might be able to sneak past those shaaks and steal the Healing Crystals.

**Luke. **No. The Force knows what could go wrong with that. The shaak could smell you, another guardian could show up . . . whatever. And if that happens, I'll be too far away to help. Besides, our mission is to save Corran and whoever survived _Chimaera_'s destruction.

_Luke and Mara hide the _Merciless _behind Monarg's Mechanic Works, then climb the mountains where they can see Monarg's lair from above. The entrance is unsealed, allowing them to view inside._

_Enter Monarg, Corran, and Saba, inside Monarg's Mechanic Works._

_Saba is tied up, hanging over a pot of boiling water._

**Monarg. **You're a feisty one.

**Saba. **Challenge this one. Give this one back her lightsaber. And this one will fight you.

_Monarg laughs._

**Monarg. **_[to Corran] _Hmm. Should I eat the Barabel now or wait for my wedding feast? What does my lovely bride think?

**Corran. **_[imitates a Wookiee female] _Oh, er, I'm not hungry right now, dear. Perhaps . . .

**Saba. **Did you say bride? Who, Corran?

**Mara. **_[aside, to Luke] _Shut up. She has to shut up.

**Monarg. **_[glowers] _What Corran?

**Saba. **The Corellian.

**Corran. **Oh, the poor thing's brain is boiling from that hot water. Pull her down, dear.

_Monarg narrows his good eye._

**Monarg. **What Corellian? Corellians are good eating. You've brought me a Corellian?

**Saba. **No, you idiot. That Corellian, Corran Horn . . . the one in the wedding dresz.

_Monarg pulls off Corran's disguise._

**Monarg. **_[angry] _I don't see very well, not since that other Jedi stabbed me in the eye. But you are no female Wookiee!

_Corran yelps, as Monarg slaps him upside the head._

**Corran. **_[regular voice] _Stop. Don't eat me raw. I . . . I have a good recipe.

_Luke reaches for his lightsaber, but Mara stops him._

**Mara. **_[aside, to Luke] _Wait.

_Monarg hesitates, a boulder in hand._

**Monarg. **Recipe?

**Corran. **Oh, yes. You don't want to eat me raw. You'll get bacteria mutation and all sorts of horrible things. I'll taste much better grilled over a slow fire, with glocksaw sauce. You could go get some glocksaw right now, down there in the woods. I'll just wait here.

**Monarg. **_[thoughtful] _Grilled Corellian with glocksaw sauce. _[to Saba] _Are you a Corellian, too?

**Saba. **No, you overgrown pile of bantha fodder. This one iz a Barabel, the daughter of Yun-Yammka. Now untie this one, so this one can rip your armz off.

**Monarg. **Rip my arms off.

**Saba. **And stuff them down your throat.

**Monarg. **You've got spunk.

**Saba. **Let this one down.

_Monarg snatches up Corran._

**Monarg. **I have to graze my shaaks now. The wedding is postponed until tonight. Then we will eat the Corellian for the main course.

**Corran. **_[hurt] _But . . . you're still getting married? Who's the bride?

_Monarg glances at Saba._

_Saba sisses with laughter, banging her tail on the cave floor._

**Saba. **Oh, Monarg muzt be joking. This one . . .

_Monarg tosses Corran and Saba into the back of Monarg's Mechanic Works._

**Monarg. **Make yourself comfortable. I'll come back at sundown for big event.

_Monarg seals the entrance, then departs._

Glocksaw. What is glocksaw?

_Exit Monarg._

_Luke and Mara approach the entrance and make fruitless attempts to pry the boulder away from the entrance._

**Luke. **_[aside] _If Corran hears us, I can't tell. This worst part is that, even if we somehow manage to kill Monarg, Corran and Saba will die inside Monarg's Mechanic Works. Only the Wookiee himself can move this boulder.

_Luke activates his lightsaber, but is unable to slice through the cortosis sealing the entrance shut._

_Luke and Mara sit, defeated, watching Monarg feed his pets._

**Mara. **Trickery. We can't beat him by force, so we'll have to use trickery.

**Luke. **_[to Mara] _Okay. What trick?

**Mara. **I haven't figured that part out yet.

**Luke. **_[sarcastic] _Great.

**Mara. **Monarg will have to move the rock to let the shaaks inside.

**Luke. **At sunset, which is when he'll marry Saba and have Corran for dinner. I'm not sure which is grosser.

**Mara. **I could get inside, cloaked.

**Luke. **What about me?

**Mara. **The shaaks . . . _[smiles] _How much do you like shaaks?

_Exit all._


	35. Monarg

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke and Mara (cloaked), on Monarg's planetoid._

_Luke has attached himself to the belly of a shaak._

**Mara's Voice. **Just don't let go.

_Luke remains in this position until sundown._

_Enter Monarg._

**Monarg. **O! Nerfs. Shaaks.

_The flock approaches Monarg._

**Mara's Voice. **This is it. I'll be close by. Don't worry.

_Monarg waves his shaaks into his lair, among them the one concealing Luke._

**Monarg. **_[to Luke's shaak] _O! Putting on some extra mutton there, eh?

**Luke. **_[aside] _Oh, no. Here it comes.

**Monarg. **_[laughs] _Go on, fatty. Soon I will eat you for breakfast.

_Luke is finally safely inside Monarg's lair._

_Monarg starts to seal the entrance, when the cloaked Mara steps forward._

**Mara's Voice. **_[imitates Obi-Wan] _Hello, ugly.

**Monarg. **_[stiffens] _Who said that?

**Mara's Voice. **Nobody.

**Monarg. **_[angry] _Nobody. I remember you.

**Mara's Voice. **You're too stupid to remember anybody, much less Nobody.

_Monarg bellows with rage and tosses the boulder in Mara's direction, where it shatters to pieces. Fortunately, it misses Mara._

You haven't learned to throw any better, either.

**Monarg. **_[howls] _Come here. Let me kill you, Nobody.

**Mara's Voice. **You can't kill Nobody, you stupid oaf. Come find me.

_Monarg runs forward, searching for the source of the voice._

**Luke. **_[aside] _Now, the _Nobody _thing won't have made sense to anybody. But Mara explained to me that it is the name Obi-Wan used to trick Monarg centuries ago, right before he poked the Wookiee's eye out his lightsaber. Mara figured Monarg will still have a grudge about that name. And she is right. In his frenzy to find his old enemy, he forgot about resealing the entrance. Apparently, he doesn't even stop to consider that Mara's voice is female, whereas the first Nobody was male. On the other hand, he wanted to marry Corran, so he can't be all that bright about the whole male/female thing.

_Exit Monarg and Mara._

_Luke detaches himself from the shaak, then heads deeper into Monarg's Mechanic Works._

_Enter Corran and Saba._

_Corran tries in vain to cut Saba's fibercords._

**Saba. **It iz no use. This cord iz like _beskar_.

**Corran. **Just a few more minutes.

**Saba. **_[exasperated] _Corran. You've been working at it for hourz.

_Corran and Saba turn and see Luke._

Luke? You supposed to be dead.

**Luke. **_[dry] _Good to see you, too. Now hold still while I . . .

**Corran. **Luke. You heard me. You came.

_Corran embraces Luke._

**Luke. **Of course I came, old friend.

**Corran. **Where's Mara?

**Luke. **Outside. But there's no time to talk. _[to Saba] _Saba. Hold still.

_Luke activates his lightsaber, which fills the area with green light, and slices off Saba's bindings._

**Saba. **Thankz.

**Luke. **You're welcome. Now, was anyone else on board your escape pod?

**Saba. **_[surprised] _No. Juzt this one. Everybody else aboard the _Chimaera _. . . well, this one didn't even know you guyz made it out.

_Luke looks down, disappointed._

**Luke. **Okay. Come on, then. We have to help . . .

_An explosion rocks Monarg's lair, as somewhere Mara screams in terror._

_Luke, Corran, and Saba run outside Monarg's Mechanic Works. Saba is armed with a crude spear, Corran a shaak bone._

_Enter Monarg, shaking Mara's inert form._

**Monarg. **I got Nobody.

_The cloaking device falls free, and Mara becomes visible once more._

O! Nasty cloaked female. I've already got the feisty one for my wife. That means you've got to be grilled with glocksaw sauce.

_Mara struggles, looking dazed._

**Luke. **I'll rush him. Our ship is on the other side of the planetoid. You and Corran . . .

**Corran. **No way.

**Saba. **No. We'll take him together.

_Corran blinks, seeming stunned that he and Saba actually agreed on something._

**Luke. **All right. Attack Pattern Delta.

_Corran and Saba nod and stand aside._

_Luke raises his lightsaber and approaches Monarg._

Hey, ugly.

**Monarg. **Another one? Who are you?

**Luke. **Put down my friend. I'm the one who insulted you.

**Monarg. **You are Nobody?

**Luke. **That's right, you slimy piece of worm-ridden filth. I'm Nobody and proud of it. Now, put her down and get over here. I want to stab your eye out again.

_Monarg roars with rage and throws Mara to the ground, where she falls into unconsciousness. Immediately after, the enraged Wookiee charges Luke._

**Corran. **For Yu'shaa.

_Corran throws his shaak bone, which bounces harmlessly off Monarg's head. At the same time, Saba runs from the opposite direction and stabs Monarg in the foot. The Wookiee howls in pain, and Saba moves away to avoid getting trampled. _

_Monarg removes the spear from his foot and advances on Luke._

_Luke rolls aside and stabs the Wookiee in the thigh._

**Luke. **_[to Corran] _Get Mara.

_Corran grabs the cloaking device and rushes to Mara's side, as Luke and Saba keep Monarg distracted._

_Saba charges Monarg repeatedly. The Wookiee's attempts to impede are in vain, for the Barabel is too quick. Each time she advances, Luke follows by stabbing Monarg with his lightsaber._

_[aside] _We can't keep this up forever. Eventually, either we will tire or the Wookiee will get in a lucky shot. It will only take one hit to kill us.

_Corran carries Mara across the rope bridge to the field with the Healing Crystals of Fire._

_[to Saba] _Fall back.

_Saba rolls away as the Wookiee's fist smashes the tree behind her._

_Luke and Saba run for the bridge, followed by Monarg._

**Monarg. **I'll grind you into shaak chow. A thousand curses on Nobody.

**Luke. **Faster.

_Corran reaches the other side and sets Mara on the ground._

Corran. Get Mara's vibroblade.

_Corran nods._

_As Luke and Saba climb across the bridge, Corran retrieves Mara's vibroblade and begins cutting the ropes._

_Monarg steps on the bridge, causing it to sway wildly._

_Once the bridge is half cut, Luke and Saba dive onto the other side. Luke slashes with his lightsaber and cuts away the rest of the bridge._

_As the bridge falls away, Monarg leaps onto the other side with Luke, Mara, Corran, and Saba._

**Monarg. **_[laughs] _You have failed. Nobody has failed.

_Corran and Saba charge Monarg, but the Wookiee easily swats them aside._

_Luke raises his lightsaber and attacks, jabbing Monarg in the belly. The Wookiee doubles over, and Luke slashes at his nose with his emerald blade. He assaults Monarg, knocking him onto his back, his lightsaber hovering above his eye._

O!

**Corran. **Luke. How did you . . . ?

_Monarg stares up at Luke pitifully._

**Monarg. **_[sobs] _Please, no. My shaaks need me. I'm only trying to protect my shaaks.

_Luke hesitates._

**Saba. **Kill him. What are you waiting for?

**Corran. **He's a Wookiee. Don't trust him.

**Luke. **_[to Monarg] _We only want the Healing Crystals. Will you agree to let us take them?

**Saba. **No. Kill him.

**Monarg. **_[sniffs] _My beautiful Crystals, prize of my collection. Take it, cruel human. Take it and go in peace.

**Luke. **I'm going to step back slowly. One false move . . .

_Monarg nods._

_As Luke backs away, Monarg leaps to his feet and knocks the Jedi to the edge of the cliffs._

**Monarg. **Foolish Jedi. Take my Healing Crystals? _[laughs] _I'll eat you first.

_Enter Lowbacca._

_The younger Wookiee tosses a rock into Monarg's open maw. Choking, the Wookiee stumbles backward and falls down the side of the cliff._

_Lowbacca steps forward._

**Lowbacca. **Bad Monarg. Not all Wookiees are as nice as we look.

_Exit all._


	36. Escape from Monarg

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Mara (unconscious), Corran, Lowbacca, and Saba, on Monarg's planetoid._

**Luke. **Lowie. How . . . ?

**Lowbacca. **Boga. She's been following us since we left the Praxeum. After the destruction of the _Chimaera_, she found me floating in space and rescued me. I've been searching the Unknown Regions for you ever since. Luckily, I caught scent of these shaak and found this planetoid.

_Luke grins._

**Luke. **_[aside] _I'd love to embrace that big oaf. But he's standing in the middle of Monarg's carnivorous shaaks. _[to Lowbacca] _Lowie. Thank the Force. Mara is wounded.

**Lowbacca. **_[frowns] _You thank the Force she is wounded?

**Luke. **No.

_Luke kneels by Mara's side._

_Luke and Corran exchange nervous looks._

Lowie. The Crystals. Can you get them for me?

_Lowbacca examines the field, where he discovers Monarg's collection of lightsaber crystals._

**Lowbacca. **Which ones?

**Luke. **In the tree with the violet flames.

**Lowbacca. **Oh, yes, pretty.

_Lowbacca wades through the carnivorous shaaks and retrieves the Healing Crystals of Fire. Then he starts to wade back toward the Jedi._

**Luke. **No time. Throw them.

_Lowbacca tosses the Healing Crystals of Fire to Luke._

_Luke sets the Healing Crystals of Fire on Mara's chest._

_Immediately, color returns to Mara's face, and she awakes._

**Mara. **_[to Corran] _You're not . . . married?

**Corran. **_[grins] _No. My friends talked me out of it.

**Luke. **Mara. Just lay still.

_Instead, Mara sits up, the Healing Crystals having returned her to perfect health._

_The shaaks begin sniffing in the Jedi's direction._

**Lowbacca. **No, shaaks. This way. Come here.

_Lowbacca leads the shaaks away from the Jedi._

**Luke. **We have to go. Our ship is . . . _[frowns at the now destroyed bridge] _Lowie. Can you lead the flock as far away as possible?

**Lowbacca. **The shaaks want food.

**Luke. **I know. They want sentient food. Just lead them away from the path. Give us time to get to the landing bay. Then join us there.

_Lowbacca frowns doubtfully._

**Lowbacca. **Come on, shaaks. Er, sentient food this way.

_Lowbacca leads the shaaks away._

**Luke. **_[to Mara] _Keep the Healing Crystals around you, just in case you're not fully healed yet. Can you stand?

_Mara tries to stand, then groans._

**Mara. **Oh, no. Not fully healed.

_Saba drops next to Mara and feels her chest._

**Saba. **Ribz broken. They're mending, but definitely broken.

**Luke. **How can you tell?

**Saba. **_[glares at Luke] _Because this one haz broken a few, runt. This one will have to carry her.

_Saba picks up Mara, then heads for the landing bay, followed closely by Luke and Corran._

_Luke touches the _Merciless _and wills it fly toward them._

_As soon as the _Merciless _arrives, Lowbacca returns, chased by the flock of shaaks._

**Lowbacca. **Incoming.

**Luke. **They probably won't follow us in the water. All we have to do is run for the ship.

**Saba. **With Mara like thiz?

**Luke. **We can do it. Once we get to the ship, we'll be able to take off.

_All leap into the water and wade toward the _Merciless_._

_Enter Monarg, who roars with rage._

_Monarg prepares to toss rocks at the escaping Jedi and their allies._

You would think he would have run out of rocks.

**Corran. **Swim for it.

_Corran and Saba (with Mara) dive in water and swim toward the Star Destroyer._

_Monarg glowers at Lowbacca._

**Monarg. **You, young Wookiee. Traitor to your kind.

_Lowbacca freezes._

**Luke. **Don't listen to him. Come on.

_Lowbacca turns to face Monarg._

**Lowbacca. **I am not a traitor.

**Monarg. **You serve the Jedi, thieving humans.

_Monarg tosses his first boulder, but Lowbacca tosses it aside._

**Lowbacca. **I am not a traitor. And you are not my kind.

**Monarg. **Death or victory.

_Monarg charges after Luke and Lowbacca in the water, but stumbles on his way. The Wookiee growls with rage._

_Corran, Saba, and Mara have almost reached the _Merciless_._

**Saba. **Luke. Come on.

**Lowbacca. **_[to Luke] _Go. I will hold Monarg.

**Luke. **No. He'll kill you. We'll fight him together.

**Lowbacca. **Together.

_Luke activates his lightsaber._

_Monarg tosses a second boulder, but Lowbacca knocks it aside._

_Luke kicks Monarg in the eye and uses his hydrokinetic Force powers to blast the Wookiee with water._

**Monarg. **I will destroy you, thief of the Healing Crystals.

**Luke. **You stole the Healing Crystals. You've been using to lure Corellians to their deaths.

**Monarg. **So? Corellians are good eating.

**Luke. **The Crystals should be used to heal. It belongs to the children of the Je'daii.

**Monarg. **I am a child of the Je'daii.

_Monarg swipes at Luke, but the Jedi dodges._

Father Vader. Curse this thief.

_Luke backs out of Monarg's reach._

**Luke. **Vader won't curse me. I'm his son, too. He won't play favorites.

_Monarg roars and pulls out a tree as a weapon._

**Monarg. **Jedi are not the same . . . nasty, tricky, lying.

_As she, Corran, and Mara board the ship, Saba waves for Luke to hurry._

_Lowbacca works around Monarg, trying to get behind him._

Young one. Where are you? Help me.

_Lowbacca stops._

You weren't raised right, poor orphaned brother. Help me.

_Lowbacca steps forward, his hands raised defensively._

**Lowbacca. **Don't fight, Wookiee brother. Put down the . . .

_Monarg turns toward Lowbacca._

**Luke. **Lowie.

_Monarg knocks Lowbacca backward, sending him flying back onto the beach. The elder Wookiee charges after him._

No.

_Luke strikes at Monarg with his lightsaber._

**Monarg. **O!

_Monarg swings at Luke._

_Luke dives, but is still scratched by the branches. _

_As Monarg swings the tree, Luke grabs hold and allows the Wookiee to lift him into the air. Then the Jedi leaps downward and lands onto Monarg's good eye._

_Monarg howls with pain. Lowbacca tackles him, pulling him down. Luke lands next to them, lightsaber in hand, within striking distance of the Wookiee's heart._

_Luke exchanges looks with Lowbacca._

**Luke. **Let him go. Run.

_Lowbacca pushes Monarg away, and he and Luke flee into the ocean._

**Monarg. **I will smash you.

_Monarg doubles over with pain, his hand covering his eye. He removes his eye patch, revealing a prosthetic eye. This second eye, however, is only good for microscopic vision, making it difficult for him to view his enemies._

_Luke and Lowbacca dive into the water._

Where are you?

_Monarg tosses the tree, and it falls in the water to their right._

_Luke uses the Force to speed his way toward the _Merciless_._

**Saba. **Yes, Skywalker. In your face, Wookiee.

**Luke. **_[aside] _"Shut up," I want to yell.

_Monarg roars and tosses his boulder toward the ship, but misses the Star Destroyer._

**Saba. **Yesss. You throw like a wimp. That should teach you to try marrying this one, idiot.

**Luke. **Saba. Shut up.

_Monarg tosses the boulder at the _Merciless_, and it rips right through the hull. No longer space-worthy, they would be unable to use it even if had not sunk._

_Luke curses._

Dive.

_Luke and Lowbacca dive underwater, swimming toward Mara, Corran, and Saba. But even they are not strong enough to pull their friends out of the water._

We need help.

**Lowbacca. **Yes, help. _[to all] _Boga.

**Luke. **Boga! We need you.

_Enter the varactyls, among them Boga._

_Using the Force, the varactyls are able leap into the sky and vanish into space, travelling back into the Unknown Regions._

_Exit all but Monarg._

**Monarg. **I did it. I finally sank Nobody.

_Exit all._


	37. Saba's Flight

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Mara, Corran, Lowbacca, and Saba, on Chiron._

**Mara. **I think we're on Chiron. But the varactyls are acting barvy.

**Luke. **This is as far as they will take us. To many sentients, too much pollution. We'll have to swim to shore on our own.

_Once the Jedi arrive on the Chironian shore, the Healing Crystals of Fire take on the appearance of a mundane jacket._

_Mara checks the date on the HoloNet._

**Mara. **_[curses in Old Corellian] _We've been away from the Praxeum for ten planetary rotations.

**Saba. **That iz impossible.

**Corran. **Jaina's tree must be nearly dead. We have to get the Healing Crystals back tonight.

_Saba bangs her tail on the ground in frustration._

**Saba. **How are we suppozed to do that? We're several parsecz away. We've got no creditz, no ride. Thiz is just like the Prophet said. _[glares at Luke]_ It iz your fault, Skywalker. If you hadn't interfered . . .

**Mara. **Luke's fault? Saba, how can you say that? You are the most . . .

**Luke. **Stop it.

_Saba puts her head in her claws. Mara stomps her foot in frustration._

_Luke frowns thoughtfully._

Saba. What did the Prophet tell you exactly?

**Saba. **"You shall sail the durasteel ship with warriors of bone. You shall find what you seek and make it your own. But despair for your life entombed within stone and fail, without friends, to fly home alone."

**Corran. **Ouch.

**Luke. **No. Wait a minute. I've got it.

_Luke searches his pockets, but finds only an aurodium ingot._

Does anybody have any creds?

_Mara and Corran shake their heads. Saba retrieves a few Imperial credits and sighs._

**Lowbacca. **Creds? Like yellow chips?

**Luke. **Yes.

**Lowbacca. **Like the kind in the bags?

**Luke. **Yes. But we lost those a long time a . . .

_Lowbacca removes a bag filled with GA credits from his pocket, the same one given to Luke by Yun-Shuno._

Lowie. How did you . . . ?

**Lowbacca. **I thought it was a feed bag for Boga. I found it floating in space. But there were only chips inside. I'm sorry.

_Luke hails an airtaxi._

**Luke. **Saba. Come on. You're going to the spaceport. _[to Mara] _Mara. Give her the Healing Crystals.

_Luke takes the Healing Crystals (disguised as a jacket), stuffs the credits in its pocket, and hands the Crystals to Saba._

_Both Mara and Saba look stunned._

**Saba. **You would let this one . . . ?

**Luke. **It's your quest. We only have enough for one flight. Besides, I can't travel by air. Sekot would blast me into a million pieces. That's what the prophecy meant: You would fail without friends, meaning you would need our help. But you would have to fly home alone. You have to get the Healing Crystals back safely.

_Saba studies Luke suspiciously, then she boards the airtaxi._

**Saba. **You can count on this one. This one won't fail.

**Luke. **Not failing would be good.

_Exit Saba (with the Healing Crystals of Fire), in the airtaxi._

**Mara. **Skywalker. That was so . . .

**Corran. **Generous?

**Mara. **Insane. You're the lives of everybody at the Praxeum that Saba will get the Healing Crystals safely back by tonight.

**Luke. **It's her quest. She deserves a chance.

**Lowbacca. **Luke is nice.

**Mara. **Luke is _too _nice.

**Luke. **Come on. Let's find another way home.

_Enter Caedus, armed with his crimson lightsaber._

**Caedus. **Hello, Luke. Welcome back to the Alliance.

_Enter the Togorians._

_H'sishi seizes Mara and Corran. Muuurgh tries to grab Lowbacca, but the Wookiee knocks him aside and roars at Caedus._

Luke. Tell your Wookiee to back down or I'll have H'sishi bash your friends' heads together.

_H'sishi grins and raises Mara and Corran in the air._

**Luke. **What do you want, Jacen?

_Caedus smiles and gestures to the _Anakin Solo_, docked nearby._

**Caedus. **Why, Luke, I want to extend my hospitality, of course.

_Exit all._


	38. Luke's Trick

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Mara, Corran, Lowbacca, and Caedus (with the Togorians), on the Anakin Solo._

**Caedus. **And so, the Healing Crystals of Fire. Where are they?

_Caedus prods at Corran's legs with his lightsaber._

**Corran. **O! That's real fur under there.

**Caedus. **_[smiles] _Sorry, old friend. Just give me the Healing Crystals. And I'll leave you to return to your, ah, little nature quest.

**Corran. **_[scoffs] _Some old friend.

**Caedus. **Maybe you didn't hear me. Where are the Healing Crystals?

**Luke. **Not here. We sent them on ahead of us. You messed up.

_Caedus narrows his eyes._

**Caedus. **You're lying. You couldn't have . . . _[with realization] _Saba?

_Luke nods._

You trusted . . . ? You gave . . . ?

**Luke. **Yes.

**Caedus. **_[to Muuurgh] _Muuurgh.

**Muuurgh. **_[flinches] _Yes?

**Caedus. **Get below and prepare my aiwha. Bring it on deck. I need to fly to Chiron Base immediately.

**Muuurgh. **But, sir . . .

**Caedus. **Do it. Or I'll feed you to the krayt dragon.

_Exit Muuurgh._

_Caedus curses in Old Corellian, gripping his lightsaber tightly._

_Luke sees a rainbow glinting behind Caedus, perfect for summoning a villip._

**Luke. **_[to Caedus] _You've been toying with all along. You wanted us to bring you the Healing Crystals and save you the trouble of getting it.

**Caedus. **_[scowls] _Of course, you idiot. And you've messed everything up.

**Luke. **Traitor.

_Luke tosses his aurodium ingot in Caedus's direction, which flies past the Sith minion and into the rainbow._

_[aside] _O Master Tionne. Accept my offering.

_A villip materializes behind Caedus_.

_[to Caedus] _You tricked all of us, even _Qel-Droma _at the _Jedi Praxeum_.

_The villip assumes the form of Qel-Droma and Qordis, sitting in the refectory at the Jedi Praxeum._

_Luke activates his lightsaber, distracting Caedus and his minions from the noise of the villip._

**Caedus. **_[sneers] _This is no time for heroics, Luke. Drop your puny lightsaber. Or I will have to kill you sooner rather than later.

**Luke. **Who poisoned Jaina's tree, Jacen?

**Caedus. **I did, of course. I already told you that. I used kodashi viper venom, straight from the depths of the Maw.

**Luke. **Yoda had nothing to do with it?

**Caedus. **_[scoffs] _You know he would never do that. The old fool wouldn't have the guts.

**Luke. **You call it guts? Betraying your friends? Endangering the whole Praxeum?

_Caedus raises his lightsaber._

**Caedus. **You don't understand the half of it. I was going to let you take the Healing Crystals, once I was done with them.

_Luke hesitates._

**Luke. **You were going to heal Palpatine.

**Caedus. **Yes! The power of the Healing Crystals would have sped his mending process by tenfold. But you haven't stopped us, Luke. You've only slowed us down a little.

**Luke. **And so you poisoned the tree, betrayed Jaina, and set us up — all to help Palpatine destroy the Je'daii.

**Caedus. **_[grits his teeth] _You know that. Why do you keep asking me?

**Luke. **_[indicates the villip] _Because I want everybody in the audience to hear you.

**Caedus. **What audience?

_Caedus narrows his eyes, then turns around to see the villip. His minions gasp._

_The Jedi (through the villip) stare at the scene on the Anakin Solo in stunned silence._

**Qel-Droma. **Well, some unplanned dinner entertainment.

**Luke. **Master Q. You heard him. You all heard Jacen. The poisoning of the tree wasn't Yoda's fault.

**Qel-Droma. **I suppose not.

** Qordis, **The villip could be a trick.

_Qel-Droma looks at Qordis with disgust._

**Qel-Droma. **I fear not. It appears I shall have to reinstate Yoda as activities director. I suppose I do miss the old Chironian's pazaak games.

_ Qordis finally manages to grab his nerfburger, breaking his curse._

** Qordis, **_[cackles] _I've got it.

**Qel-Droma. **We are no longer in need of your services, Qordis.

** Qordis, **_[stunned] _What? But . . .

**Qel-Droma. **You may return to the Netherworld. You are dismissed.

** Qordis, **No. But . . . No!

_Exit Qordis._

_The Jedi cheer._

_Caedus bellows with rage. He raises his lightsaber and slices the villip in half with his crimson blade._

**Caedus. **Palpatine was right, Luke. You're an unreliable weapon. You need to be replaced.

_One of Caedus's minions blows a whistle._

_The doors fly open, and the Jedi are surrounded by servants of the Sith._

_Caedus smiles at Luke._

You'll never leave this ship alive.

_Exit all._


	39. Luke vs Caedus

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Mara, Corran, Lowbacca, and Caedus (with his minions), on the _Anakin Solo_._

**Luke. **_[to Caedus] _One on one. What are you afraid of?

_The_ Anakin Solo_'s crewmembers hesitate_,_ waiting for their commander's order._

_Enter Muuurgh and R2-D2, a blue-and-white aiwha with red eyes and an astromech droid brain._

**Muuurgh. **Lord Caedus. Your aiwha is ready.

**Caedus. **_[to Luke] _I told you last summer, Luke. You can't bait me into a fight.

**Luke. **And you keep avoiding one. Are you scared?

_Caedus glances at his soldiers._

**Caedus. **I'll kill you quickly.

_Caedus activates his lightsaber, as one of his servants hands him a personal energy shield._

**Mara. **Jacen. At least give him a shield.

**Caedus. **Sorry, Mara. You bring your own equipment to this party.

_Caedus lunges and grazes Luke with his lightsaber._

_Luke steps back, then counterattacks with his lightsaber. Caedus deflects the strike with his shield._

My, Luke. You're out of practice.

_Caedus makes a swipe at Luke's head, a strike Luke parries, returning with a thrust. Caedus sidesteps easily._

_As Caedus lunges again, Luke jumps backward into the swimming pool. With the water, Luke is able to reach a oneness with the Force. Using the Force, he creates a funnel cloud and blasts it straight at Caedus's face._

_Caedus is knocked backward. But before Luke can strike, the fallen Jedi rises once more._

_Luke attacks and slices off the edge of the energy shield. _

_Caedus drops to a crouch and jabs at Luke's legs. As Caedus hacks downward, Luke rolls behind a deck chair. Injured, Luke's leg is no longer strong enough to hold his weight._

**Corran. **Luke!

_Luke rolls again as Caedus's lightsaber slashes the deck chair in half._

_As Luke claws toward the pool, Caedus smiles and advances slowly, his lightsaber glowing with crimson light._

**Caedus. **One thing I want you to watch before you die, Luke. _[to H'sishi] _You can eat your dinner now, H'sishi. Fill yer boots.

_H'sishi laughs. The Togorian lifts Mara and Corran in the air and bares her fangs._

_Enter Yoda and the Chironians (among them Lusa and Wicket)._

_Yoda fires his bowcaster and strikes H'sishi in the mouth._

_H'sishi dies._

**Muuurgh. **Sister.

_Muuurgh releases R2-D2's reins. The aiwha kicks him off the _Anakin Solo_, sending the Togorian flying out into space._

_Muuurgh dies._

_R2-D2 takes flight and exits._

_Yoda leads the Chironians as they charge onto the _Anakin Solo_, fighting against Caedus's forces._

**Lowbacca. **Gaupas.

_As Caedus raises his lightsaber, Lusa fires her blaster and knocks the Dark Jedi backward._

_Caedus's forces retreat._

**Lusa. **Come get some.

_Yoda gallops toward Mara and Corran, picks them up, and deposits them on his back._

_Luke tries to stand, but his leg crumples underneath him._

_Caedus crawls out of the pool._

**Caedus. **Attack, you fools.

_Caedus sounds the alarm, and his forces prepare to attack._

_Lowbacca knocks several of Palpatine's minions out the airlock, but more arrive._

**Yoda. **Withdraw, brethren.

**Caedus. **You won't get away with this, old man.

_Lusa fires her blaster, and Caedus is knocked backward again._

_Lusa hoists Luke onto her back._

**Lusa. **Jedi. Get your Wookiee friend.

**Luke. **Lowie. Come on.

_Lowbacca drops two of Caedus's minions and leaps onto Wicket's back._

**Wicket. **Bloah. Do the words _low carbohydrates _mean anything to you?

_As Caedus gathers his forces behind him, the Chironians leap off the _Anakin Solo _and out onto the surface of Chiron._

_Exit all._


	40. Yoda's Revelation

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Mara, Corran, Lowbacca, and the Chironians, on Chiron._

_The Chironians gallop (with the Jedi) to Chiron Base, the Chironian camp._

**Lusa. **Bloah. Did you see that Togorian?

**Wicket. **_[laughs] _That was astral. Head slam.

_Lusa and Wicket ram into each other._

_The Jedi dismount the Chironians._

_sighs]_ I really wish my cousins wouldn't slam their heads together. They don't have the neurons to spare.

**Luke. **Yoda. You saved us.

**Yoda. **_[smiles] _Well, now, I couldn't very well let you die, especially since you've cleared my name.

**Mara. **But how did you know where we were?

**Yoda. **Advanced planning, my child. I figured you would turn up somewhere in the Chiron system, if you made it out of the Unknown Regions alive. Almost everything strange washes up on Chiron.

**Corran. **_[sarcastic] _Thanks.

**Yoda. **No, no. I didn't mean . . . Oh, never mind. I am glad to see you, my young Corellian. The point is, I was able to eavesdrop on Luke's communication and trace the signal. Tionne and I have been friends for centuries. I asked her to alert me to any important communications in this area. It then took no effort to convince my cousins to ride to your aid. As you see, Chironians can travel quite fast when we wish to. Distance for us is not the same as distance for humanoids.

_Luke glances over at Lusa and Wicket, who are teaching Lowbacca how to use a blaster._

**Luke. **_[aside] _I hope they know what they're getting into. _[to Yoda] _So what now? We just let Jacen fly away? He's got Palpatine aboard that ship, or parts of him, anyhow.

_Yoda opens his medkit and begins treating Luke's wound._

**Yoda. **I'm afraid, Luke, that today has been something of a draw. We didn't have the strength of numbers to take that ship. Jacen was not organized enough to pursue us. Nobody won.

**Mara. **But we've got the Healing Crystals of Fire. Saba is on her way back to the Praxeum with them right now.

**Yoda. **_[nods] _You are all true Jedi. And as soon as we get Luke fixed up, you must return to the Jedi Praxeum. The Chironians shall carry you.

**Luke. **You're coming, too?

**Yoda. **Oh, yes, Luke. I'll be relieved to get home. My brethren here simply do not appreciate Boles Roor's music. Besides, I must have some words with Master Q. There's the rest of the summer to plan, so much training to do. And I want to see . . . I'm curious about the Healing Crystals.

**Luke. **_[aside] _I don't know exactly what he means. But it makes me worried about what Jacen said: "I was going to let you take the Healing Crystals, once I was done with them." Was he lying? I learned, with Palpatine, there is usually a plan within a plan. The Emperor isn't called the Sith'ari for nothing. He has ways of getting beings to do what he wants without their ever realizing his true intentions.

_Lowbacca fires wildly with the blaster._

**Yoda. **Mara. Perhaps you and Corran would go supervise Lowbacca and my cousins before they, ah, teach each other too many bad habits?

_Luke and Mara exchange looks._

**Mara. **Sure, Yoda. _[to Corran] _Come on, CorSec.

**Corran. **But I don't like blasters.

**Mara. **Yes, you do.

_Exit all but Luke and Yoda._

_Luke finishes bandaging Luke's leg._

**Yoda. **Luke. I had a talk with Mara on the way here, a talk about the prophecy.

**Luke. **It wasn't her fault. I made her tell me.

_Yoda's eyes flash with irritation._

**Yoda. **_[sighs] _I suppose I could not hope to keep it secret forever.

**Luke. **So am I the one in the prophecy?

**Yoda. **I wish I knew, Luke. You are not yet sixteen. For now, we must simply train you as best we can and leave the future to the Ones.

**Luke. **That's what it meant.

**Yoda. **_[frowns] _That's what what meant?

**Luke. **Last summer, when I saw the Ones snip somebody's life string, I thought it meant I was going to die right away. But it's worse than that. It's got something to do with your prophecy. The death they foretold — it's going to happen when I'm sixteen.

**Yoda. **_[nervous] _Young one. You can't be sure of that. We don't even know if the prophecy is about you.

**Luke. **But there isn't any other near-human child of the Big Three.

**Yoda. **That we know of.

**Luke. **And Palpatine is rising. He's going to destroy Tython.

**Yoda. **He will try. And Coreward civilization along with it, if we don't stop him. But we will stop him. You will not be alone in that fight.

**Luke. **I'm just a kid, Master. What good is one lousy Jedi against something like Palpatine?

**Yoda. **_[smiles] _What good is one lousy Jedi? Crix Madine said something like that to me once, just before he singlehandedly changed the course of the Galactic Civil War.

_Yoda activates his lightsaber._

Adegan crystal, Luke. An immortal weapon. What would happen if I struck this at a human?

**Luke. **Nothing. It would pass right through.

**Yoda. **That's right. Humans don't exist on the same level as the immortals. They can't even be hurt by our weapons. But you, Luke — you are part Je'daii, part human. You live in both worlds. You can be harmed by both. And you can affect both. That's what makes Jedi so special. You carry the hopes of humanity into the realm of the eternal. Monsters never die. They are reborn from the chaos and barbarism that is always bubbling underneath civilization, the very stuff that makes Palpatine stronger. They must be defeated again and again, kept at bay. Jedi embody that struggle. You fight the battles humanity must win, every generation, in order to stay human. Do you understand?

**Luke. **I . . . I don't know.

**Yoda. **You must try, Luke. Because whether or not you are the child of the prophecy, Palpatine thinks you might be. And after today, he will finally despair of turning you to the dark side. That is the only reason he hasn't killed you yet, you know. As soon as he's sure he can't use you, he will destroy you.

**Luke. **You talk like you know him.

**Yoda. **_[purses his lips] _I do know him.

_Luke stares at Yoda, stunned._

**Luke. **Is that why Master Q blamed you when the tree was poisoned? Why you said some beings don't trust you?

**Yoda. **Indeed.

**Luke. **But, Yoda . . . I mean, come on. Why would they think you would ever betray the Praxeum for Palpatine?

**Yoda. **_[sad] _Luke. Remember your training. Remember your study of mythology. What is my connection to the Sith Emperor?

**Luke. **_[shakes his head] _You, er, owe Palpatine a favor or something? He spared your life?

**Yoda. **Luke. The Emperor Palpatine is my father.

_Exit all._


	41. The Healing Crystals of Fire

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Mara, Corran, and Lowbacca, riding Yoda and the Chironians into the Jedi Praxeum._

**Luke. **_[aside] _We arrived on Centax just after Saba, thanks to the Chironians' travel powers. I rode on Yoda's back. But we didn't talk much, especially not about Palpatine. I know it was difficult for Yoda to tell me. I don't want to push him with more questions. I mean, I've heard of plenty of bad parents. But Palpatine, the evil Emperor who wishes to destroy Coreward civilization? That's not exactly something you brag about.

_Luke joins the other Jedi, who crowd around Jaina's tree._

_Exit the Chironians._

When we first returned, the Chironians were anxious to meet Qel-Droma. They heard he threw some really wild parties. But they were disappointed. The Je'daii was in no mood to celebrate. The Praxeum went through a hard two weeks. The Room of a Thousand Fountains was burned to the ground from an attack by a Fire Breather. The Jedi Temple's rooms are overflowing with wounded. The children of Yavin, who are our best healers, have been working overtime performing first aid. Everybody looks weary and battered.

_Enter Saba, who drapes the Healing Crystals of Fire over Jaina's tree. Immediately, the tree returns to life, the shield protecting the Praxeum beginning to reform._

_All cheer._

It's happening slowly. But there can be no doubt: the powers of the Healing Crystals are seeping into the tree, filling it with new power and expelling the poison.

**Yoda. **We will be establishing a twenty-four/five lookout on the Manarai Mountains, at least until we can find an appropriate monster to protect the Healing Crystals of Fire. I've placed an advertisement in the Tythonian HoloNet. We should be seeing results soon.

_Saba is lifted onto her fellow Barabels' shoulders, carried down to the Great Hall, where she is honored with a laurel and an official ceremony._

**Luke. **_[aside] _Nobody gives Mara or me a second look. It is as if we never left. In a way, I guess that is the best gratitude anyone can give us, because if they admit we snuck out of the Praxeum to do the quest, they would have to expel us. And really, I don't want any more attention. It feels good to be just one of the apprentices for once.

_Saba shoves Luke from behind._

**Saba. **Juzt because you were cool one time, Skywalker, don't think you're off the hook with Yun-Yammka. This one is still waiting for the right opportunity to pulverize you.

_Luke smiles grudgingly._

What?

**Luke. **_[to Saba] _Nothing. It's just good to be home.

_Exit all._


	42. Yun-Shuno's Delivery

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Mara, Lowbacca, and Yoda, in the Jedi Praxeum._

**Yoda. **Now that I have returned, I have an announcement to make: The Podraces shall continue as scheduled.

_All Jedi exchange looks._

**Luke. **_[aside] _This is shocking for all of us, as we assumed the Podraces would have ended with Qordis. But completing them _does _feel like the right thing to do, especially now that Yoda is back, and the Praxeum is safe. _[indicates Lowbacca] _Lowie's not too keen on the idea of getting back in a Podracer after our first experience. But he is happy to let me team up with Mara. I will drive, Mara will defend, and Lowie will act as our pit crew.

_As Luke works with the equus, Lowbacca fixes up Mara's Podracer, adding his own special modifications._

We spend the next two days training like mad. Mara and I agree that if we win, the prize of no chores for the rest of the month will be split between our two cabins. Since Ashla has more children, they will get most of the time off, which is fine by me. I don't care about the prize. I just want to win.

_Exit all but Luke, who works alone on the equus._

_Enter Yun-Shuno._

**Yun-Shuno. **Fine creatures, equus. I wish I'd thought of them.

**Luke. **Yun-Shuno.

**Yun-Shuno. **_[nods] _Hello, Luke.

**Luke. **Er . . . listen, Yun-Shuno . . . about Jacen . . .

_Yun-Shuno raises her eyebrows._

We saw him, all right. But . . .

**Yun-Shuno. **You weren't able to talk sense into him?

**Luke. **Well, we tried to kill each other in a duel to the death.

**Yun-Shuno. **I see. You tried the diplomatic approach.

**Luke. **I'm really sorry. I mean, you gave us those astral gifts and everything. And I know you wanted Jacen to come back. But . . . he's turned dark, really dark. He said he feels like you abandoned him.

**Yun-Shuno. **_[sighs] _Do you ever feel like your father abandoned you, Luke?

**Luke. **_[aside] _Oh, stang. I want to say, "Only a few hundred times a day." I haven't spoken to Vader since last summer. I've never been to his aquatic palace on Kamino. And then there's the whole thing with Lowbacca — no warning, no explanation. Just boom, you have a brother. You'd think that deserved a little heads-up comm call or something. The more I think about it, the angrier I get. I realize I _do_ want recognition for the quest, but not from the other Jedi. I want my father to say something, to notice me.

**Yun-Shuno. **Luke. The hardest part about being a god is that you must often act indirectly, especially when it comes to your own children. If we were to intervene every time our children had a problem . . . well, that would only create more problems and more resentment. But I believe if you give it some thought, you will see that Vader has been paying attention to you. He has answered your prayers. I can only hope that some day, Jacen may realize the same about me. Whether you feel like you succeeded or not, you reminded Jacen who he was. You spoke to him.

**Luke. **I tried to kill him.

**Yun-Shuno. **_[shrugs] _Families are messy. Immortal families are eternally messy. Sometimes the best we can do is to remind each other that we're related, for better or worse, and try to keep the maiming and killing to a minimum.

**Luke. **_[aside] _It doesn't sound like much of a recipe for the perfect family. Then again, as I think about my quest, I realize maybe Yun-Shuno is right. Vader did send the varactyls to help us. He gave me powers over the sea that I never knew about before. And there's Lowbacca. Did Vader bring us together on purpose? How many times did Lowie save my life this summer?

_The conch horn sounds, signaling curfew._

**Yun-Shuno. **You should get to bed. I've helped you get into quite enough trouble this summer already. I really only came to make this delivery.

**Luke. **A delivery?

**Yun-Shuno. **I am the messenger of the Je'daii, Luke.

_Yun-Shuno removes hands Luke her amphistaff (in the form of a datapad and a stylus)._

Sign there, please.

_Luke takes the amphistaff and drops it, in shock._

**Han. **O!

**Leia. **Really, Luke. Would you want to be dropped on the floor of a equus stable?

**Luke. **Oh, er, sorry.

_Luke takes the amphistaff again and begins to write._

**Han. **Did you bring me a vhlor?

**Luke. **No. We didn't find any.

**Han. **What about a tusk-pig?

**Leia. **Han. Don't tease the boy.

_Luke signs his name and hands Yun-Shuno the amphistaff._

_Yun-Shuno hands Luke a hololetter from Lord Vader._

**Yun-Shuno. **Good luck tomorrow. May the Force be with you.

**Leia. **And don't be too discouraged when you read it, dear. He does have your interests at heart.

**Luke. **What do you mean?

**Han. **Don't mind her. And remember, ophidians work for tips.

**Yun-Shuno. **Enough, you two. _[to Luke] _Goodbye, Luke, for now.

_Exit Yun-Shuno, with her amphistaff._

_Luke opens the hololetter._

_Enter Vader, a holographic recording of the Je'daii._

**Vader. **Brace yourself.

_Exit Vader._

**Luke. **That's it? He goes to the trouble of writing a hololetter. And he only writes two words? Leia told me not to feel disappointed. Maybe Vader has a reason for being so vague. Maybe he doesn't know exactly what he's warning me about. But he senses something big, something that will throw me off my feet, if I'm not prepared. It will be hard. But I must focus on the Podrace.

_Exit all._


	43. Lowbacca's Gift

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca, in the Podrace arena._

_Lowbacca hands Luke the cortosis wrist chrono he constructed._

**Lowbacca. **Here.

**Luke. **Thank you, brother.

_Luke slips on the wrist chrono._

**Lowbacca. **I didn't finish it in time for the mission. I'm sorry.

**Luke. **Hey, man. It's no big deal.

**Lowbacca. **If you need protection in race, hit the button.

**Luke. **All right. I'll remember. _[hesitates] _And Lowie . . .

**Lowbacca. **_[ashamed] _I know what you will tell me. Vader did care for me after all.

**Luke. **Er, well . . .

**Lowbacca. **He sent you to help me, just what I asked for.

**Luke. **You asked Vader for . . . me?

**Lowbacca. **For a friend. Young Wookiees grow up alone on the streets, learn to make things out of scraps, learn to survive.

**Luke. **But that's so cruel.

**Lowbacca. **_[shakes his head] _It makes us appreciate blessings, not be greedy and mean like Monarg. But I got scared. Monsters chased me too much, clawed at me sometimes . . .

**Luke. **The scars on your back?

**Lowbacca. **A Waru in the Invisible Sector, a bully. I prayed to Father for help. Soon the beings at Tosche Station found me. I met you. It was the greatest blessing ever. I'm sorry I said Vader was mean. He gave me a brother.

_Luke stares at his chrono._

**Mara. **Luke. Come on.

_Enter Yoda, among the Corellian, Melodie, and Jedi spectators in the stands._

**Luke. **Lowie . . .

**Lowbacca. **Go. You will win.

**Luke. **I . . . Yes, all right, big guy. We'll win this one for you.

_Luke joins Mara in their Podracer._

_Enter the racers: Ganner Rhysode and Kenth Hamner, on a bronzium Podracer pulled by reeks; Saba Sebatyne and Tesar Sebatyne, on an obsidian Podracer pulled by a team of nek battle dogs; Ton Phanan and Tekli, on a Podracer pulled by gualaars; Davin and Chak Fel, on an ancient-looking Podracer pulled by bordoks; and Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade, on a Podracer pulled by a pair of equus._

_The race begins._

_Luke and Mara pass by the Barabels, who are in the middle of a fight against Davin and Chak Fel._

We've got them.

_As he passes the Ashla Podracer, Phanan activates a net to impede their progress._

**Mara. **Incoming.

_Mara knocks the net aside with her electropole._

_Phanan tosses his electropole at one of the Podracer's engines, damaging them. However, this does little to impede their progress._

_Luke and Mara are now neck-in-neck with Phanan and Tekli, with Ganner and Hamner close behind. With Saba dueling Chak, the Barabels and the Fels are far behind._

**Phanan. **_[to Mara] _You're mine.

**Mara. **_[sarcastic] _Yeah, right.

_Mara tosses her second electropole at Phanan, sending him knocking into Tekli, causing them both to tumble out of their Podracer. Jedi flee for cover, as their Podracer crashes._

_As Luke and Mara move into their final lap, their Podracer begins to lose speed. Because of this, Ganner and Hamner begin to catch up._

_Ganner grins and presses a button, ejecting his harpoon and tow cable, pulling the Ashla Podracer toward him._

_Mara curses and draws her vibroblade, struggling to cut the cables._

I can't cut them.

_Ganner and Hamner move closer._

**Luke. **Take the reins. Switch with me.

**Mara. **But . . .

**Luke. **Trust me.

_Luke and Mara switch, with Mara driving and Luke on the defense._

_Luke activates his lightsaber and slices the cables._

_Mara drives away from the Yun-Ne'Shel Podracer, but Hamner pulls up beside them and rams into the Podracer._

_Ganner activates his lightsaber and slashes at Mara. Luke parries with his own lightsaber._

_Luke and Mara are now neck-in-neck with Ganner and Hamner, with the Barabels close behind._

**Ganner. **See you, Luke. Here's a little parting gift.

_Ganner tosses a baradium explosive into Luke and Mara's Podracer._

**Mara. **Thermal detonator.

_Luke curses._

Get rid of it.

_Luke, dueling Ganner, is unable to move. Thinking quickly, he activates his chrono, which transforms into a cortosis shield. Ganner's lightsaber clashes against the shield, then flickers and deactivates, temporarily disabled._

**Ganner. **_[stunned] _What? How . . . ?

_Luke knocks Ganner in the chest with his shield and sends him flying out of his Podracer. Then he turns his lightsaber on Hamner._

**Mara. **Skywalker.

_Luke uses his lightsaber to flip the thermal detonator into Hamner's Podracer._

_Hamner yelps and leaps out, as the Podracer explodes._

_The Barabels and the Fels swerve to avoid the wreckage._

_Luke and Mara are the first to pass the finish line._

_All cheer._

**All. **Skywalker and Jade! Skywalker and Jade!

**Mara. **Hold up. Listen. It wasn't just us. We couldn't have done it without somebody else. We couldn't have won this race, retrieved the Healing Crystals, or saved Corran. We owe our lives to Lowbacca, Luke's . . .

**Luke. **Brother. Lowbacca, my younger brother.

_Lowbacca looks uncomfortable, as the crowd cheers._

_Mara kisses Luke on the cheek, causing the crowd to grow even wilder._

_The children of Ashla lift Luke, Mara, and Lowbacca on their shoulders and carry them over to Yoda, who awards them with laurels._

_Exit all._


	44. Luke and Corran

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke and Mara, in the Jedi Praxeum._

**Luke. **_[aside] _This afternoon has been one of the happiest I've ever spent at the Praxeum, which maybe goes to show, you never know when your world is about to be rocked to pieces.

_Enter Corran._

**Corran. **I'll be spending the rest of the summer with you before resuming my quest for Yu'shaa. The Corellian Council with me that they've granted me a two-month holiday and a new kloo horn.

_Corran shows Luke his kloo horn, which he proceeds to play_

**Luke. **_[aside] _Therein lies the only problem: Corran's musical skills are not the best.

_Corran plays a few Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes songs, then turns to Luke._

**Corran. **Now that we're face-to-face, Luke, I can dissolve the battle meld.

**Luke. **There is no need. I'll just as soon as keep it if that's okay with you.

_Corran sets down his kloo horn and stares at Luke._

**Corran. **But, if I get in trouble again, you'll be in danger, Luke. You could die.

**Luke. **If you get in trouble again, I want to know about it. And I'll come help you again, Corran. I wouldn't have it any other way.

**Corran. **All right, if you're sure.

_Corran continues playing his kloo horn._

_Exit all._


	45. Yoda and Shmi

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke and Yoda, in the Jedi Praxeum._

**Yoda. **I want you to know I've straightened everything out with Tosche Station. CSF is no longer looking for you.

**Luke. **How did you manage that?

**Yoda. **I merely suggested that the humans had seen something different on that day — a gasser explosion that was not your fault.

**Luke. **You just said that, and they bought it?

**Yoda. **I performed a Force illusion. Some day, when you're ready, I'll show how it's done.

**Luke. **You mean, I can go back to Tosche next year?

**Yoda. **_[raises his eyebrow] _Oh, no. They've still expelled you. Your headmaster, Laze Loneozner, said you had — how did he put it? — un-koovy karma that disrupted the school's educational aura. But you're not in any legal trouble, which was a relief to your mother. Oh, and speaking of your mother . . .

_Yoda hands Luke his comlink._

It's high time you commed her.

_Exit Yoda._

_Luke keys in Shmi Skywalker's comm code._

**Shmi's Voice. **_[over comlink] _Luke Skywalker. What were you thinking? Do you have any idea how worried I was?

**Luke. **Hello, Mother.

**Shmi's Voice. **_[over comlink] _Oh, I'm just glad you're safe.

**Luke. **I'm sorry, Mother. It won't happen again.

**Shmi's Voice. **_[over comlink] _Don't promise me that, Luke. You know very well it will only get worse.

**Luke. **I could come home for a while.

**Shmi's Voice. **_[over comlink] _No, no. Stay at the Praxeum, train. Do what you need to do. But will you come home for the next season?

**Luke. **Yes, of course. Er, if there is any school that will take me.

_Shmi sighs._

**Shmi's Voice. **_[over comlink] _Oh, we'll find something, dear. Some place where they don't know us yet.

_Luke disconnects the comm call._

_Exit all._


	46. Lowbacca's Departure

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke and Lowbacca, near the Unnh River._

**Lowbacca. **I received a dream from Father last night. He wants me to visit.

**Luke. **Vader communicated to you through the Force?

**Lowbacca. **_[nods] _He wants me to go to Kamino for the rest of the summer, learn to work at the Wookiees' forges. He called it an inter . . . inter . . .

**Luke. **An internship?

**Lowbacca. **Yes.

**Luke. **_[aside]_ I'll admit, I feel a little jealous. Vader has never invited me to Kamino. Wait . . . Lowie is going? Just like that? _[to Lowbacca] _When would you leave?

**Lowbacca. **Now.

**Luke. **Now. As in . . . right now?

**Lowbacca. **Now.

**Luke. **I'm happy for you, big guy, seriously.

**Lowbacca. **_[trembling] _It's hard to leave my new brother. But I want to make things, weapons for the Praxeum. You will need them.

**Luke. **_[aside] _Unfortunately, I know he's right. The Healing Crystals of Fire haven't solved all the Praxeum's problems. Jacen is still out there, gathering an army aboard the _Anakin Solo_. Palpatine is still reforming in his Sith sarcophagus. Eventually, we will have to fight them. _[to Lowbacca] _You'll make the best weapons ever. _[indicates his chrono] _I imagine they will tell good time, too.

**Lowbacca. **_[sniffles] _Brothers help each other.

**Luke. **You're my brother, no doubt about it.

_Lowbacca pats Luke on the back._

**Lowbacca. **Use the shield well.

**Luke. **I will, big guy.

**Lowbacca. **It will save your life some day.

_Lowbacca approaches the Unnh River and whistles._

_Enter Boga._

_Lowbacca mounts Boga and exits._

_Enter Mara and Corran._

**Mara. **Hey, Luke.

**Luke. **Lowie . . . he had to . . .

**Mara. **We know. Yoda told us.

**Corran. **_[shudders] _Wookiee forges. I hear the food is terrible, like no ryshcate at all.

_Mara takes Luke's hand._

**Mara. **Come on, Farmboy. It's time for dinner.

_Exit all._


	47. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.**

_Enter Luke (asleep), in cabin three._

_There is a knock on the door, waking Luke with a start._

_Enter Corran._

**Corran. **_[stunned] _Luke. Mara . . . on the Manarai Mountains . . . She . . .

_Luke stiffens, then dresses._

She's lying there . . . just lying there . . .

_Luke and Corran run into the Jedi Praxeum, joining the Jedi, Corellians, and Melodies headed for the Manarai Mountains._

_Enter Yoda._

**Yoda. **_[to Corran] _Is it true?

_Corran nods._

_All climb up the Manarai Mountains and crowd around Jaina's tree._

Blast the Sith Emperor. He tricked us again, given himself another chance to control the prophecy.

**Luke. **What do you mean?

**Yoda. **The Healing Crystals. The Healing Crystals did their work too well.

_All approach Jaina's tree._

_Enter Mara, kneeling over Jaina's inert form._

It healed the tree. And the poison was not the only thing it purged.

_Mara turns and runs to Yoda._

**Mara. **It . . . she . . . just suddenly there . . .

_Luke frowns, then runs over to Jaina._

**Yoda. **Luke. Wait.

_Corran steps forward, viewing Jaina._

**Corran. **It's true. I can't believe . . .

_Luke kneels over Jaina's body, feeling her pulse._

**Luke. **_[aside] _She's clearly a demigod, whether she's a Jedi or not. I can tell that from her Force signature. But why is everyone so scared? _[to all] _She needs bacta and bota.

_Luke lifts Jaina into a seated position._

Come on. What's wrong with you beings? Let's get her to the Jedi Temple.

_All merely stare._

_Jaina awakes._

**Jaina. **_[stares at Luke] _Who . . . ?

**Luke. **I'm Luke Skywalker. You're safe now.

**Jaina. **I had the strangest dream. . . .

**Luke. **It's okay.

**Jaina. **I was dying.

**Luke. **No. You're okay. What's your name? _[aside] _But even as I say it, I know. At last, I understand the true meaning of the Healing Crystals quest, the poisoning of the tree, everything. Palpatine did it to bring another dejarik piece into play, another chance to control the prophecy. Even Yoda, Mara, and Corran, who should be celebrating this moment, are too shocked, thinking about what it will mean for the future. And I am holding someone who is destined to be my best friend . . . or my worst enemy.

**Jaina. **I am Jaina, daughter of Sekot.

_Exit all._


End file.
